NEW DELHI: After uplink, it's now time for downlinking a policy for a group of ministers (GoM) that would be headed by defence minister Pranab Mukherjee.

According to information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy, the Cabinet today referred the proposed downlinking policy to the GoM, which is also examining the uplink policy.

Briefing newspersons today after a cabinet meeting, Reddy said the GoM would study the downlink issue too as some issues are common to both the downlink and uplink norms that the government is attempting to put in place.

The draft downlinking policy, prepared by the I&B ministry, requires that channels downlinking content into India from foreign soil must have offices registered in India so that such companies can be made accountable to local laws.

The draft downlink policy also looks at making it mandatory for private channels to share the feed of sports events of national importance, including cricket (or should one say particularly cricket?), with pubcaster Prasar Bharati.

Since the issue of sharing of feed with Prasar Bharati had split the Cabinet, the uplink matter had been referred to the GoM, which has now been constituted.

As if on cue, Doordarshan is trying to flex its muscles vis-a-vis Indian cricket team's tour of Sri Lanka by asking rights holder Ten Sports to share the live feed on a revenue sharing basis.

The GoM comprises ministers of telecom, finance, I&B, home and law.