New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has released the draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 for public consultation, proposing a unified regulatory framework for television broadcasting, radio services and distribution platforms.
The draft rules seek to consolidate multiple legacy guidelines governing television channels, teleports, Direct-to-Home (DTH) operators, Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS) platforms, FM radio stations, community radio services and IPTV providers into a single regulatory structure.
While positioned as a sector-wide regulatory overhaul, the proposed framework appears to revive a key objective of the shelved Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 — administrative consolidation — while steering clear of the more contentious content-regulation provisions that triggered industry opposition.
A Unified Authorisation Regime
At the heart of the proposed rules is the creation of a common authorisation framework covering television broadcasters, DTH operators, HITS platforms, teleports, FM radio stations, community radio services, news agencies and IPTV providers.
The move mirrors the Broadcasting Bill’s earlier attempt to bring diverse broadcasting activities under a single regulatory architecture, replacing a patchwork of service-specific guidelines that have evolved over the years.
Existing operators will be allowed to migrate to the new framework without paying migration fees.
IPTV Gets a Major Regulatory Relaxation
One of the most significant changes proposed in the draft relates to IPTV services.
Under the new framework, internet service providers authorised under telecom laws and registered multi-system operators (MSOs) will be permitted to offer IPTV services through a simple declaration process. They will not be required to obtain a separate broadcasting authorisation.
The provision is expected to lower regulatory barriers and could encourage wider deployment of IPTV services through existing telecom and cable infrastructure.
Landing Page Transparency and Public Service Obligations
The draft rules also introduce a requirement for broadcasters to disclose the availability of channels on landing pages to both the government and registered television audience measurement agencies.
The provision assumes significance amid ongoing industry debates around the influence of landing page placements on television ratings.
Broadcasters and radio operators would also be required to carry public service programming.
For television broadcasters, at least 30 minutes of public service content must be aired daily between 6 am and 11 pm. The content may relate to areas such as education, agriculture, health, science and technology, women’s welfare, environmental protection, cultural heritage and national integration.
Private FM radio broadcasters would be required to air a minimum of one hour of such content every day. In addition, at least 20% of their daily programming must comprise local content.
Status Quo on Radio News and Ownership Restrictions
The proposed rules retain existing restrictions on independent news broadcasting by private FM radio stations.
Private broadcasters will continue to be permitted to carry only unaltered bulletins from Akashvani. However, the draft provides greater clarity on permissible information categories, including traffic updates, weather reports, sports information and public service announcements.
The framework also preserves current cross-media ownership restrictions applicable to broadcasters, DTH operators and HITS platforms.
Security-related provisions remain largely unchanged. Authorised entities and key personnel will continue to require security clearances, while ownership changes resulting in transfer of control will need prior government approval. Existing restrictions on foreign personnel involved in broadcasting operations have also been retained.
What Is Missing From the Framework
The most notable aspect of the draft rules may be what they do not cover.
Unlike the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, the new framework makes no attempt to regulate OTT streaming platforms. The earlier Bill had proposed bringing OTT broadcasting services within the regulatory net once they crossed specified subscriber thresholds.
The draft rules contain no equivalent provisions.
Similarly, digital news publishers, websites and social media-based news operations — all of which featured prominently in the Broadcasting Bill — have been left outside the scope of the proposed framework.
The omission extends to several concepts that formed the foundation of the earlier Bill, including internet broadcasting networks, content evaluation mechanisms and regulatory oversight structures for on-demand digital content.
A Selective Continuation of the Broadcasting Bill
The contrast suggests that the government has chosen to separate two objectives that were previously bundled together under the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
The first objective was administrative consolidation of broadcasting regulations. The second was the expansion of content oversight to digital media, OTT platforms and online news publishers.
The draft Telecommunications Rules move decisively ahead with the former while remaining silent on the latter.
Whether this signals a permanent retreat from broader content-regulation proposals or merely a postponement remains uncertain. For now, however, the draft framework indicates that the government has prioritised regulatory streamlining for traditional broadcasting and distribution services while leaving the debate around OTT and digital news regulation unresolved.
