NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has warned broadcasters against giving signals of free to air (FTA) channels to unauthorised operators. 

The government said that it should be ensured that satellite TV channels do not provide their signal reception decoders or access to their signals to any cable or multi system operators (MSO), DTH operators, IPTV service provider and headend in the sky (HITS) operator, which is not registered or permitted by the MIB.

The Ministry said that non-adherence to the laid down stipulation is “liable for stern action from this Ministry in case corrective action by broadcasters is not taken immediately.”

It was pointed out that there should be strict adherence to clause 5.6 of the Article 5 of Downlinking Guidelines in this regard.

The clause stipulates that all the broadcasters “shall provide satellite TV channel signal reception decoders only to MSOs/Cable Operators registered under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 or to a DTH operator registered under the DTH guidelines issued by Government of Indian or to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Service Provider duly permitted under their existing Telecom License or authorised by Department of Telecommunications or to a HITS operator duly permitted under the policy guidelines for HITS operators issued by the I&B Ministry to provide such service.”

The MIB said that it had come to its notice that certain DTH operators were beaming into India FTA channels without obtaining due license or registration authorisation in any manner from the Ministry. “These FTA TV channels, it is learnt, are permitted TV channels. However, broadcasters appear to have allowed their signals to be used by such unauthorised operators,” the Ministry said.