NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry earned a sum of Rs 48.05 crore during the current year and the last three years from foreign television channels towards registration and annual renewal fees.

Three broadcasting companies, which have permission of 17 foreign TV channels, obtained permission for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) during the last three years as well as the current year.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, I&B minister Arun Jaitley said that the Ministry has permitted 822 TV channels as on 5 August, 2015 under Uplinking/Downlinking Guidelines. The details are available on the Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

Under the Downlinking Guidelines, the companies are not required to report changes in shareholding pattern to the Ministry for channels uplinked from abroad.

Content telecast on private satellite TV channels is regulated in accordance with the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the Rules framed thereunder.