NEW DELHI: GETIT Infoservices has been permitted to bring in a sum of Rs 216 crore by way of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) to increase foreign equity percentage by way of acquisition/fresh issue of shares to carry out the business of specialty publishing.
 
The Foreign Investments Promotion Board also cleared the proposal by Pilot Ventures Media, New Delhi to bring in Rs 100,000 by way of induction of 100 per cent foreign equity to carry out the business of publishing, marketing and distributing NME music magazine and NME music website

The Finance Ministry announced that it will communicate separately its decision to Hubert Burda Media India which has sought Rs seven crore as WoS of a foreign company to act as an operating-cum-investment company and to make downstream investment in an Indian company engaged in printing and publishing of magazines.

NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari has assured that the government is not in favour of regulating media content but a regulatory body is needed on techno-commercial grounds.

Addressing the Fourth CEOs roundtable on broadcast in New Delhi, he said regulation of content in the media space will not come from the executive but through the judicial process.

On TRPs, the minister said the government has been insisting on creation of a body by the industry at the earliest. He said the government is ?more than prepared? if a body is created which will analyse and process data before placing it in the public domain without government intervention in the process.

The minister said the broadcast industry will expand database through digitisation which will increase revenue stream which is skewed.

Tewari also said that there has to be a balance between the evolution of technology and the regulatory architecture. In view of the changes taking place in the broadcasting space, a discussion was necessary within the industry regarding the need of a regulator on techno-commercial grounds.

Referring to the digitisation mechanism, the minister said that all stakeholders need to ensure that they work together for creating an enabling environment. This was critical in view of the consumer being the biggest stakeholder and end-beneficiary.

The government, he said, was aware of the needs of the consumer and desired that the whole process of implementation ought to be done causing the least pain to the biggest beneficiary - the consumer.

Digitisation as a process had to be viewed as a game changer as far as the media landscape in this country was concerned as benefits would accrue to all the stakeholders involved and each played a vital role in the growth of the industry.

NEW DELHI: Television channels are proposed to be brought under the ambit of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act 1986.

The act currently does not cover electronic media. The act as it currently stands prohibits indecent representation of women through advertisements or in publications, writings or paintings and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Officials in the Women and Child Development Ministry, who did not want to be identified, told indiantelevision.com that the ministry is also proposing to enhance the penal provisions in the act.

The officials clarified that the move to amend the act had nothing to do with the recent incident of gang-rape in New Delhi and the resultant death of the victim.

The officials said the proposed amendments were approved by the Cabinet much earlier for being moved in Parliament as an amendment to the act.

MUMBAI: After being caught completely off-guard by the massive protests in New Delhi to condemn the rise in rape cases, the government has blamed ?some? news channels for irresponsible reporting that led to the deterioration of the law and order situation.

The Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has issued an advisory asking news channels to adhere to the Programme Code laid down in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 failing which the government will take appropriate action.

"It has been observed that some private satellite news TV channels in their 24X7 coverage have not been showing due responsibility and maturity in telecasting the events relating to the said demonstration and such a telecast is likely to cause deterioration in the law & order situation, hindering the efforts of the law enforcing authorities," the advisory from I&B ministry Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu read.

The government said that the Rule 6(1)(e) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, which contains the Programme Code, provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national attitude.

"Now, therefore, all private satellite television channels are advised to scrupulously follow the Programme Code laid down in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 and to ensure to telecast the matter in a responsible manner with due care, maturity and restraint," the advisory added.

The government also warned that, "Any violation of the Programme Code will invite such action as provided for in the Cable Television (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules framed there under as well as the terms & conditions stipulated in Uplinking & Downlinking Guidelines."

MUMBAI: Under criticism from all quarters over lack of action to improve the condition of football in the country, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its marketing partner IMG Reliance are planning a IPL-style franchise-based league that would run parallel to I League, the national club competition.

?The franchise based league was always part of the contract with IMG Reliance, but as of now nothing has been finalised. We received a lot of suggestions on how to go about the league,? AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told Indiantelevision.

The AIFF today held a meeting at its headquarters in New Delhi attended by its members as well as representatives of IMGR.

Some members suggested keeping the league limited to six franchises while some suggested having an eight team event. ?We will be inviting franchises for the league, I League club owners can also take part in the process. However, we are yet to finalise anything,? asserted Das.

While it is true that the AIFF and IMGR faced flak from I League clubs for failing to bring about any perceptible change in Indian football, what also got the two parties working is the launch of Premier League Soccer in West Bengal which stole the limelight and grabbed international attention.

The Indian Football Association sanctioned league which saw millions of dollars being splurged on franchises and players has hit rough waters since it was announced with much fun-fare. The league which was expected to be held in March had to be postponed due to lack of proper infrastructure and support from the state government.

The AIFF is planning to create a two-month window after the conclusion of I-League. However, questions are being raised whether players will be able to participate in the competition after playing for six months of grueling football in the I League.

To accommodate the new league and to take care of player fatigue the AIFF might consider shortening the I League as well. ?There were suggestions that the I League should be shortened to accommodate the new league,? added Das.

The AIFF is confident that both Indian and international players will be part of the league. Fabio Cannavaro and Hernan Crespo, who were part of the PLS, are likely to play alongside top Indian players like Sunil Chhetri, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Syed Rahim Nabi.

The Indian Football Association (West Bengal), the governing body of football in West Bengal, had signed a 30-year deal with Celebrity Management Group to launch the PLS on the lines of US? Major League Soccer. The PLS had earned Rs 797.5 million from the sale of six franchises.

Players like Hernan Crespo, Jay Jay Okocha, Concecao, Robert Pires and Fabio Cannavaro had signed up as icon players. The international media rights of the league were sold to sports media company MP & Silva.