But the privilege you have been enjoying so far may not last long, with the government introducing new policy that makes it mandatory to acquire downlink permission to air any foreign TV channel in Nepal. [break]
The new policy also allows the authorities to ban any foreign TV channel deemed detrimental to the welbeing of society or the national interest.
According to the Fourth Amendment to the National Broadcast Regulations 2052 BS, foreign TV channels wishing to broadcast in Nepal must get downlink permission from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) by June 7, 2010.
The amendment to the Regulations published in the government´s Gazette on December 7, 2009 has set a six-month deadline for foreign TV channels or their authorized agencies in Nepal to acquire such permission. The government will place a ban on the broadcast of TV channels failing to acquire permission even after the deadline expires.
As per the newly introduced provision, foreign TV channels that also broadcast commercials need to pay Rs 25,000 and those without commercials, Rs 50,000, to acquire downlink permission in Nepal. The permission is subject to renewal every year.
Joint-Secretary Narayan Prasad Regmi, spokesperson of MoIC, said that District Administration Offices and Post Offices are entrusted with the task of monitoring if any cable operators are found airing TV channels other than those they have permission for. “The local administration will direct the cable distributor concerned to stop airing foreign TV channels that have failed to acquire downlink permission,” he said.
As per the amendment, MoIC is required to publish a public notice on a periodic basis about TV channels acquiring such permission.
Until recently, there was no legal provision regulating foreign TV channels broadcasting in Nepal, leaving cable operators free to broadcast whatever foreign TV channels they wished. “This is an effort to secure our skies,” said Regmi.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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