The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has replied to Election Commission (EC) saying that ‘NaMo TV’, a channel run on all DTH platforms with the Prime Minister’s picture as the brand logo, is a “special service” broadcast channel.
It therefore requires no licence or permission from the government.
But what else would the I&B ministry of Narendra Modi’s government say? In fact, the ministry is only parroting what BJP spokespersons are saying in TV debates. Amusingly, one representative invoked the BJP’s right to free expression, while openly admitting that he didn’t know who the owners of NaMo TV were.
Even Modi, in an interview with ABP TV, said, “I am told some people have launched a channel though I have not had time to see it myself.”
Clearly, the prime minister also seems unwilling to fully own up to a “special services channel” – run with his picture as the logo – created only to broadcast his image.
Industry sources say this is the first time a special service channel has been launched across multiple DTH platforms such as Tata Sky, Airtel and Dish TV, the last of which is owned by Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Chandra.
So why are multiple DTH operators such as the Tatas, Bharti Airtel and the Zee Group being so generous towards just one special service or advertisement channel? Special services slots on these DTH platforms are usually used by owners to push their own programmes, such as cooking or acting classes on Tata Sky, or other forms of retail advertising. On the Tata Sky DTH platform, they are called ‘Active Services’.
It is also unusual for a DTH operator to allow a third party – as with NaMo TV – to use its own brand logo (Modi’s face) on a special services platform. This concession seems to be an exclusive favour to the ruling regime.
Now, the BJP claims that NaMo TV is part of such a “special services” bouquet. Therefore, the channel does not need a licence to uplink-downlink via satellite, permissions that all news channels mandatorily need from the I&B ministry.
Interestingly, the first official reaction by Tata Sky referred to NaMo TV as a Hindi news service. This was quickly withdrawn. We were then told it was a special service or an advertising channel.