New Delhi: A fresh approval of the union cabinet will be sought for the maiden e-auction of Phase III of FM Radio licences as certain new aspects have come to light after the earlier clearance.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has prepared a note that encompasses the news aspects and circulated it to the concerned ministries/departments for their views, before it is put up for approval of the cabinet in the next few weeks.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry has said issues such as charging of migration fee from existing permission holders, and specific departures in the Requests for Proposals (RFP) from agencies interested in conducting the e-auction on behalf of the ministry, had not been taken into account when the cabinet approval for the Phase III auctions were obtained on 7 July last year.

The issues relating to the e-auction were pointed out by the inter-ministerial committee set up in November last year and headed by the then additional secretary in the I&B Ministry Rajiv Takroo.

The nine-member committee, with I&B joint secretary - broadcasting Supriya Sahu as the member-secretary, was set up to ‘guide and supervise the process of e-auction and grant of licences to private parties‘ in Phase III.

Meanwhile, the ministry has decided to commence work on the e-auctions and has called for tenders. The pre-qualification of the bidders is expected to be completed in about another two months, following which the companies that qualify will be allowed to participate in the e-auction for FM radio Phase III licences. The e-auction is expected to begin early next year.

FM Phase III Policy will extend FM radio services to about 227 new cities with a total of 839 new FM radio channels in 294 cities. A total of 216 cities and towns will get private FM radio stations for the first time, out of the 302 identified by the government and split into four categories.

In Phase III, 67 of the 86 cities and towns which already have private FM Radio channels will get additional channels. All cities with a population of 100,000 and above are entitled to get private FM radio channels in Phase III auctions.

The committee was expected to finalise and seek approval for the Request for Proposal document for selection of agency for conducting the e-auction, review the auction framework, finalise the auction documentation, conduct and oversee open house sessions for stakeholders, and guide the agency selected for the e-auction.

A separate Appellate Review Committee was also set up to scrutinize the short-listing of prospective bidders headed by the Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the I&B ministry. This committee will scrutinize various details including the net worth of prospective bidders and put them up on the ministry website, scrutinize bank guarantees and oversee the other work in that connection.

Private FM Radio broadcasters in North East (NE) Region and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Island territories will be required to pay half the rate of annual license fee for an initial period of three years from the date from which the annual license fee becomes payable and the permission period of fifteen years begins. The revised fee structure has also been made applicable for a period of three years, from the date of issuance of guidelines, to the existing operators in these states to enable them to effectively compete with the new operators.

Apart from the fee relaxation, Prasar Bharati infrastructure would be made available at half the lease rentals for similar category cities in such areas. The limit on the ownership of channels, at the national level, allocated to an entity has been retained at 15 per cent. However, channels allotted in Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern States and island territories will be allowed over and above the 15 per cent national limit to incentivise the bidding for channels in such areas.

A total of 245 FM channels are currently operational in 87 cities, each with a population of over 300,000 or more.

Meanwhile, All India Radio (AIR) is working on a plan to increase the coverage of its FM Radio channels from 37 to 90 per cent of the population, in a modernisation programme undertaken since 2011 and expected to be completed by 2016. AIR has already covered 99 per cent of the population with its analogue technology channels.

NEW DELHI: The flag-hoisting ceremony by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his subsequent address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort will be telecast live tomorrow morning from 7 am on Doordarshan?s national channel DD One and also on the primary channels of All India Radio (AIR).

Later at 8.30 am, the message of the Governor and Chief Minister of Delhi will be telecast by DD 1.

On 16 August, DD 1 will telecast a report on the Independence Day ceremonies all over the country from 8.30 am.

DD 1 will simulcast Satyamev Jayate ka Safar: Aamir Khan Show on 15 August at 11 am, repeat telecast of which will air on 16 August at 9.30 am.

History TV18 will telecast tomorrow evening at 7 pm ?Asia at War?, a documentary on the Rani of Jhansi regiment of the Indian National Army formed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose comprising expatriate women living in Malaysia and Singapore at a time during the World War II when Japan was the enemy. Idealistic and young, these women left jobs in rubber plantations to join his army in a fight to end British colonialism in India. The Rani of Jhansi regiment was the only regiment outside of the USSR made up entirely of women. Although they participated in military and combat training, ultimately these women served as nurses following the retreat of the INA after the disastrous siege of Imphal.

NEW DELHI: Four complaints were received for use of vulgar or obscene language by private FM radio channels between 2007 and 2011.

Of these, one complaint was filed by the Cabinet Secretariat against Red FM for use of derogatory remarks against the Gorkha community in September 2007, and the channel had apologised following a January 2009 order of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal (Tdsat) and carried for a week in March that year.

There were two complaints against Radio City 91.1 FM, one in August 2010 for illicit content by the Bangalore station, for which an advisory was issued to the channel for strict compliance of the Grant of Permission Agreement. The other complaint in February 2011 related to Delhi station of the channel carrying indecent remarks about nurses, and the channel was cautioned to be careful to the sensibilities of various sections of society.

The fourth complaint was against Radio Fever FM 104 in May 2009 for use of obscene words, and a warning had been issued to the channel.

The Government says that FM radio stations are governed by the All India Radio?s Code for Commercial Broadcasting. There is no pre-censorship, Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

NEW DELHI: A Committee is being set up by Prasar Bharati to monitor fast evolving changes in technology and take appropriate action with regard to Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR).

Prasar Bharati chairperson Mrinal Pande told indiantelevision.com that this committee would also study changes in new technologies that were emerging.

In answer to a question, she said the growth of Doordarshan mobile TV would be considered by this Committee.

This would be in addition to the already existing Committee which is going into vision and programme content for DD and AIR.

Another Committee was set up headed by Member (Personnel) to go into the status of former distinguished employees. This will comprise board members including the Radio and Doordarshan Director-Generals, Muzzafar Ali and Prema Cariappa.

The Committee will work out a fresh scheme of financial assistance to distinguished artists of AIR and Doordarshan who are in indigent condition and are not getting any pension or financial assistance from the Government.

Prasar Bharati approved a monthly financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to C. E. DeMellow, wife of the late Melville De Mellow whose booming voice had enthralled millions all over the country both on radio and Doordarshan.

C.E. DeMellow is about 93 years old and is in an indigent condition. Keeping her condition in view, Prasar Bharati with the approval of the CEO sanctioned in June 2012 a lump sum amount of Rs 50,000 and assistance of Rs 5000 per month as an interim measure.

The board decided to double the monthly financial assistance to her to Rs 10,000 with a direction to AIR to ensure timely payment.

The late Melville De Mellow had joined AIR in April 1950 and worked till April 1971 when he superannuated. Thereafter, he was retained in AIR as Producer (Emeritus) for a period of 5 years. He belonged to ?staff artistes? category.

In 1991, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry declared artistes/staff artistes as deemed Government servants with effect from 6 March 1982 but De Mellow was not covered as he had retired in 1971, he was not covered under these orders.

Meanwhile, the Prasar Bharati board gave in principle approval to the long-awaited fee-structure in 26 different categories of non-permanent staff.

NEW DELHI: All India Radio has proposed Rs 3 billion under a new scheme for adequate coverage in border areas in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-eastern part of the country.

This is in addition to the continuing scheme under which Rs 1 billion has been proposed. The two schemes together will take care of the requirements of J&K and the North East in the 12th Plan.

However, Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said the approved outlay for the 12th Plan is yet to be received.

Meanwhile, the sources said AIR has stations in 71 tribal areas out of the total 275 radio stations in 34 states and union territories as on 31 March this year.

However, 18 of them are giving below optimal performance because of either shortage of staff (seven) and ageing transmitters (11).

The sources admitted that in all 24 radio stations over the country were giving below optimal performance because of shortage of staff and 51 stations had problems of ageing transmitters (38 FM transmitters, 6 Short Wave and 7 Medium Wave). Sanction had been received for replacing a majority of these in the 12th Plan.

NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said Saturday that the appointment of a new chief executive officer for Prasar Bharati - Jawhar Sircar ? would result in expediting all pending issues in the pubcaster, especially those related to employees.

Vacancies in Doordarshan and All India Radio would be filled and efforts will be made to make all stations and those in the border areas functional, Soni said.

"While maintaining the autonomous structure of Prasar Bharati, I want issues related to staff resolved because they have been pending for a very long time," Soni told reporters here.

"We have recently formed recruitment rules after forming a recruitment board. We are now awaiting the clearances from the Department of Personnel and Training. So wherever there are slots vacant, they should be filled urgently," she added.

"More programmes should be generated in local languages and Doordarshan and Akashvani should reflect a picture of the entire country," Soni said.