As per the advisory, the content can be spread over smaller time slots.
“The content need not be of 30 minutes at a stretch and could be spread over smaller time slots and requires the broadcaster to submit a monthly report online on the Broadcast Seva Portal,” a statement released by the ministry said.
The ministry also identified themes for the broadcasting, including education and spread of literacy; agriculture and rural development; health and family welfare; science and technology; welfare of women; welfare of the weaker sections of the society; protection of environment and of cultural heritage; and national integration.
The government has also allowed sharing of content between the broadcasters and repeat telecasts on one or several television channels.
It has also allowed the creation of a common e-platform as a repository of relevant videos or textual content from various sources for the purpose of public service broadcasting, which may be accessed and used by the television channels.
The government has also barred the broadcast of public service content between midnight and 6 am.The ministry said it seeks to achieve the objective of Public Service Broadcasting by private satellite TV channels through voluntary compliance and self-certification.
The advisory is based on inputs from private satellite TV channel broadcasters, it further said.
“The Ministry undertook extensive consultations with the private satellite TV channel Broadcasters and their Associations and based on their inputs an “Advisory” has been issued,” the statement added.
The I&B ministry had released the guidelines for uplinking and downlinking for satellite television channels in November. These guidelines were approved by the Union Cabinet.
The revised norms allow Indian teleports to uplink foreign channels and scraps permission for live telecast of events. It also allowed a channel to be uplinked using facilities of more than one teleport/satellite as against only one teleport/satellite at present.
The guidelines also made it mandatory for channels uplinking in frequency band other than C-Band to encrypt their signals.
The guidelines were revised after a period of 11 years.
