Home Ministry's sop for media: No security clearance required for launch of second channel by same entity

NEW DELHI: In a major sop to the media, the Home Ministry has told the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on March 10 that security clearances granted to an entity to run a television channel or a community radio station would remain valid to another proposal in the same sector – in short saying no additional security clearance is needed to launch another TV channel by an entity already running one.
"The security clearance conveyed to an entity in one proposal shall remain valid to other proposals (within the same sector) in the following sectors of Ministry of I&B – (i) community radio stations, (ii) uplinking/downlinking of TV channels, (iii) Multi-System operator, (iv) Teleport. The security clearance granted in one sector of the Ministry of I&B is not valid for other sector. For example, security clearance granted to the company to running community radio stations is not automatically valid for uplinking/downlinking of channel or vice-versa," the Home Ministry has said in an official memorandum to I&B Secretary Bimal Julka on March 10. ET has now accessed a copy of the memorandum.

The Home Ministry has further said that the security clearance once granted will be valid for a period of 10 years from the date of the initial grant of security clearance, except in two cases – "if there is a change in the Board of Director (s) or change in the ultimate beneficial ownership of 10% and above in the company or expansion of existing community radio stations to border areas or naxal-affected areas." The Home Ministry said this is being done to "further streamline" the security clearance procedures that were last revised on November 5, 2014. "Ministry of I&B is requested to reconcile the pending proposals in light of these guidelines and furnish list of all such proposals which do not require fresh security clearance in view of these guidelines," the Home Ministry memorandum issued on March 10 now says.

It has also asked I&B Ministry to obtain an annual undertaking from the company and its directors, certifying that "they are not involved in any anti-national activities or criminal activities." The Home Ministry has also stipulated that I&B Ministry will "ensure continuous audit (wherever applicable) to ensure that contents which are subversive or otherwise inimical to national interest are not broadcast by the company or licensee." The Home Ministry has also said it reserves the right to revoke or rescind the security clearance granted earlier, in case, any adverse inputs are noticed about the company/licensee or its Board of Directors. The Home Ministry has also added in its memorandum that proposals for security clearance for FDI proposals shall be governed by the FDI guidelines of 2014 issued by DIPP.

There are close to 300 companies running over 800 television channels across India. The government has been attempting to simplify procedures for security clearances in these sectors. A Home Ministry official said they have even suggested to the I&B Ministry to explore if the requirement of security clearance for Multi-System Operator – that is cable operators and DTH – can be totally dispensed with. "The template followed in the present sectors in I&B is planned to be extended to all other sectors as well by the Home Ministry," an official said.