Centre Proposes Pvt TV Channels Air ‘National’ Content For 30 Mins, Pvt Radio For 1 Hr Daily
The ministry said the new rules, once notified, will replace the existing guidelines governing broadcasting services
NEW DELHI: TV channels will have to broadcast content on “themes of national importance and social relevance” for a minimum of 30 minutes daily between 6 am and 11 pm. Private radio services will be required to air similar content for at least one hour every day, according to the draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026.
The ministry of information and broadcasting released the draft for public consultation on Friday, proposing a unified regulatory framework for broadcasting services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The content was made mandatory for TV channels in 2022 guidelines, but no specific time requirement had been prescribed earlier. The draft rules seek to address this gap.
For private FM radio, the proposal replaces the earlier requirement of broadcasting “public interest announcements” with a clearer mandate to air programmes on themes of national importance and social relevance for a minimum duration of one hour daily.
The ministry said the new rules, once notified, will replace the existing guidelines governing broadcasting services.
The proposed rules integrate existing guidelines on uplinking and downlinking of satellite TV channels, direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting, Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) services, FM radio Phase-III. and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) services.
“With this set of rules, the industry will now have a unified and significantly simplified rule book. These rules are designed to simplify and harmonise the existing regime while promoting ease of doing business in the television and radio broadcasting sector,” the ministry said.
