The draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 seek to replace multiple sets of guidelines and permissions with a unified rulebook under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.

According to the ministry, the proposed rules consolidate six existing policy frameworks covering television channels, DTH services, Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) operators, private FM radio, community radio and IPTV services into a single set of regulations.

The draft has been placed in the public domain for consultation, and comments can be submitted till July 27.

An MIB official told HT that the objective was to create a simpler and more predictable system for broadcasters.

“The focus is on simplification and ease of doing business. Six guidelines are to be replaced by one harmonised set of rules. Grant of Permission Agreement (GoPA) has been done away with. Timelines, fee structures and approval routes have been made easier,” the official said.

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The draft rules also retain a long-standing requirement that private broadcasters devote airtime to public-interest programming. Television channels will continue to be required to air at least 30 minutes of content every day on themes such as education, health, agriculture, science, environmental protection and national integration.

The obligation was first introduced through the 2022 Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines and was subsequently operationalised through an MIB advisory issued in January 2023, which directed channels to report compliance on a monthly basis.

Similarly, private FM radio stations will continue to be required to broadcast at least one hour of programming each day on themes of national importance and social relevance. The draft rules also require radio stations to ensure that at least 20% of their daily programming consists of local content.

Among the key provisions, television channels, DTH operators, teleports and community radio stations will receive authorisations valid for 10 years, while television distribution services such as DTH and HITS will have a validity period of 20 years. Private FM radio authorisations will remain valid for 15 years.

The draft also states that broadcasters seeking renewal must have complied with programme and advertising codes and should not have committed more than five violations during the authorisation period. Any change in ownership resulting in a change of control or management would require prior government approval.

The rules also require broadcasters to notify the government of changes in shareholding, foreign investment and key management personnel, while entities in sensitive segments such as news broadcasting would continue to be subject to security-clearance requirements.