Follow Us
The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has asked the Hotel Association of India (HAI) to examine the issue of its member hotels not providing mandatory channels to their customers and submit a status report on the same within two weeks.
In a letter to HAI, the ministry asked whether the Distribution Platform Operator (DPO) supplying the television signal feed to the hotel has not been carrying mandatory channels on its network or the same is being blocked by the hotels. It has also asked the HAI to submit the details of the respective DPOs as part of the status report.
"It has come to the notice of this Ministry that many hotels in the country, particularly high-end hotels, are not offering the services of mandatory channels to their customers. The matter needs immediate attention whether the Distribution Platform Operator (DPO) supplying the television signal feed to the hotel is not carrying mandatory channels on its network or the same is being blocked by the hotels," the ministry said in a letter to HAI president Nakul Anand.
"It is requested to kindly have the matter examined amongst your member hotels and a status report on the same along with the details of the respective DPOs may be furnished to this ministry within two weeks of issue of this letter. Further, this Ministry would also like to have a discussion with you soon on the issue through video conferencing. Details of your representative for the same along with her / his details. e.g. email. phone number etc be also provided," the letter stated.
Section 8 of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, has notified 25 Doordarshan Channels in addition to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV channels that are to be mandatorily carried by each cable operator on its TV network. The non-carriage of mandatory channels is likely to attract punitive action under Section 11, Section 12, and Section 16 of the said act.