TV channels: 260 applications for permissions pending, says govt

A total of 260 applications are pending for grant of permission for operating television channels in the country, the government said on Friday.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry also said that in 2015, till November, it has given permissions for 42 channels of which three are in the news category while 39 belonged to the non-news category.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore said that as on date, the ministry has permitted 830 TV channels, 398 under news and current affairs category and 432 in the non-news category.

Religious and sports channels are included in non-news category, he said.

Rathore said that in 2014, the I&B ministry had given permissions to 45 channels (14 news and 31 non-news).

The number of channels that were given permission in 2013 was only seven (four news and three non-news). In 2012, 37 channels were given permissions of which 11 were in the news category while 26 were in the non-news category, the minister said.