Govt may allow FII in news channels

The government on Thursday said it would formalise a new downlinking policy within the next few weeks, which is expected to look into issues like allowing foreign institutional investors in news channels and making registration mandatory for foreign channels beaming into India.

"We are in the process of coming out with downlinking guidelines and then go to the Cabinet... in the next few weeks," Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy said at the Economic Editors' Conference in New Delhi.

However, he refused to elaborate on the specific areas being considered. According to officials in the ministry, the government is studying the possibility of allowing FII investment in news channels.

Currently, only 26 per cent foreign direct investment in allowed and FIIs are out of the picture.

Also in order to have an effective control over channels beaming into India but uplinking from abroad, the government may ask them to register themselves in India and set up an India office, among other such measures.

This is expected to help it tackle issues like pornography, as it will have power to control these channels. Other issues which are expected to be taken care of are compulsory sharing of content of events of national importance with public broadcaster Prasar Bharati.

Also, providing content on various delivery platforms on a non-discriminatory basis, which is also favoured by broadcast regulator TRAI, will be tackled by the proposed policy.