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CABLE TELEVISION NETWORKS (REGULATION) ACT, 1995
[Act No. 7 of Year 1995, dated 25-3-1995]
Promulgated by the President in the Forty-fifth Year of the Republic of India.
An Act to regulate the operation of cable television networks in the country and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Be it enacted by Parliament in the Forty-sixth year of the Republic of India as follows: -
SECTION 01: SHORT TITLE, EXTENT AND COMMENCEMENT
(1) This Act may be called the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,1995.
(2) It extends to the whole of India.
(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 29th day of September, 1994.
SECTION 02: DEFINITIONS
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) "cable operator' means any person who provides cable service through a cable television network or otherwise controls or is responsible for the management and operation of a cable television network;
(b) "cable service" means the transmission by cables of programmes including re-transmission by cable of any broadcast television signals;
(c) "cable television network" means any system consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, control and distribution equipment, designed to provide cable service for reception by multiple subscribers;
(d) "company" means a company as defined in section 3 of the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956);
(e) "person" means-
(i) an individual who is a citizen of India;
(ii) an association of individuals or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, whose members are citizen of India;
(iii) a company in which not less than fifty-one percent of the paid up share capital is held by the citizens of India;
(f) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(g) "programme" means any television broadcast and includes-
(i) exhibition of films, features, dramas, advertisement and serials through video cassette recorders or video cassette players;
(ii) any audio or visual or audio-visual live performance or presentation, and the expression "programme service" shall be construed accordingly;
(h) "registering authority" means such authority as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify to perform the functions of the registering authority under this Act;
(i) "subscriber" means a person who receives the signals of cable television network at a place indicated by him to the cable operator, without further transmitting it to any other person.
CHAPTER II: REGULATION OF CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK
SECTION 03: CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK NOT TO BE OPERATED EXCEPT AFTER REGISTRATION
No person shall operate a cable television network unless he is registered as a cable operator under this Act:
PROVIDED that a person operating a cable television network, immediately before the commencement of this act, may continue to do so for a period of ninety days from such commencement; and if he has made an application for registration as a cable operator under section 4 within the said period, till he is registered under that section or the registering authority refuses to grant registration to him under that section.
SECTION 04: REGISTRATION AS CABLE OPERATOR
(1) Any person who is operating or is desirous of operating a cable television network may apply for registration as a cable operator to the registering authority.
(2) An application under sub-section (1) shall be made in such form and be accompanied by such fees as may be prescribed.
(3) On receipt of the application, the registering authority shall satisfy itself that the applicant has furnished all the required information and on being so satisfied, register the applicant as a cable operator and grant to him a certificate of such registration:
PROVIDED that the registering authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing and communicated to the applicant, refuse to grant registration to him if it is satisfied that he does not fulfil the conditions specified in clause (e) of section 2.
SECTION 05: PROGRAMME CODE
No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any programme unless such programme is in conformity with the prescribed programme code:
PROVIDED that nothing in this section shall apply to the programmes of foreign satellite channels which can be received without the use of any specialised gadgets or decoder.
SECTION 06: ADVERTISEMENT CODE
No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any advertisement unless such advertisement is in conformity with the prescribed advertisement code:
PROVIDED that nothing in this section shall apply to the programmes of foreign satellite channels which can be received without the use of any specialised gadgets or decoder.
SECTION 07: MAINTENANCE OF REGISTER
Every cable operator shall maintain a register in the prescribed form indicating therein in brief the programmes transmitted or re-transmitted through the cable service during a month and such register shall be maintained by the cable operator for a period of one year after the actual transmission or re-transmission of the said programmes.
SECTION 08: COMPULSORY TRANSMISSION OF TWO DOORDARSHAN CHANNELS
(1) Every cable operator using a dish antenna or Television Receiver only shall, from the commencement of this Act, re-transmit at least two Doordarshan channels of his choice through the cable service.
(2) The Doordarshan channels referred to in sub-section (1) shall be re-transmitted without any deletion or alteration of any programme transmitted on such channels.
SECTION 09: USE OF STANDARD EQUIPMENT IN CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK
No cable operator shall, on and from the date of the expiry of a period of three years from the date of the establishment and publication of the Indian Standard by the Bureau of Indian Standards in accordance with the provisions of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 (63 of 1986), use any equipment in his cable television network unless such equipment conforms to the said Indian Standard.
SECTION 10: CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK NOT TO INTERFERE WITH ANY TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM.
Every cable operator shall ensure that the cable Television network being operated by him does not interfere, in any way, with the functioning of the authorised telecommunication systems.
CHAPTER III: SEIZURE AND CONFISCATION OF CERTAIN EQUIPMENT
SECTION 11: POWER TO SEIZE EQUIPMENT USED FOR OPERATING THE CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK
(1) If any officer, not below the rank of a Group 'A' officer of the Central Government authorised in this behalf by the Government (hereinafter referred to as the authorised officer), has reason to believe that the provisions of section 3 have been or are being contravened by any cable operator, he may seize the equipment being used by such cable operator for operating the cable television network.
(2) No such equipment shall be retained by the authorised officer for a period exceeding ten days from the date of its seizure unless the approval of the District Judge, within the local limits of whose jurisdiction such seizure has been made, has been obtained for such retention.
SECTION 12: CONFISCATION
The equipment seized under sub-section (1) of section 11 shall be liable to confiscation unless the cable operator from whom the equipment has been seized registers himself as a cable operator under section 4 within a period of thirty days from the date of seizure of the said equipment.
SECTION 13: SEIZURE OR CONFISCATION OF EQUIPMENT NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE OTHER PUNISHMENT
No seizure or confiscation of equipment referred to in section 11 of section 12 shall prevent the infliction of any punishment to which the person affected thereby is liable under the provisions of this Act.
SECTION 14: GIVING OF OPPORTUNITY TO THE CABLE OPERATOR OF SEIZED EQUIPMENT
(1) No order adjudicating confiscation of the equipment referred to in section 12 shall be made unless the cable operator has been given a notice in writing informing him of the grounds on which it is proposed to confiscate such equipment and giving him a reasonable opportunity of making a representation in writing, within such reasonable time as may be specified in the notice against the confiscation and if he so desires of being heard in the matter:
PROVIDED that where no such notice is given within a period of ten days from the days of the seizure of the equipment, such equipment shall be returned after the expiry of that period to the cable operator from whose possession it was seized.
(2) Save as otherwise provided in sub-section (1), the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) shall, so far as may be, apply to every proceeding referred to in sub-section (1).
SECTION 15: APPEAL
(1) Any person aggrieved by any decision of the court adjudicating a confiscation of the equipment may prefer an appeal to the court to which an appeal lies from the decision of such court.
(2) The appellate court may, after giving the appellant an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as it thinks fit confirming, modifying or revising the decision appealed against or may send back the case with such directions as it may think fit for a fresh decision or adjudication, as the case may be, after taking additional evidence if necessary.
(3) No further appeal shall lie against the order of the court made under sub-section (2).
CHAPTER IV: OFFENCES AND PENALTIES
SECTION 16: PUNISHMENT FOR CONTRAVENTION OF PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT
Whoever contravenes any of the provisions of this Act shall be punishable,-
(a) for the first offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both;
(b) for every subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.
SECTION 17: OFFENCES BY COMPANIES
(1)Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person who, at the time the offence was committed, was incharge of and was responsible to the company for the conduct of the business of the company, as well as the company, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly:
PROVIDED that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment, if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he had exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), where any offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of, or is attributable to any negligence on the part of , any director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or the officer shall also be deemed to be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
Explanation : For the purposes of this section,-
(a) "company" means any body corporate and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and
(b) "director" in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm.
SECTION 18: COGNIZANCE OF OFFENCES
No court shall take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act except upon a compliant in writing made by such officer, not below the rank of a Group 'A' officer of the Central Government, as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
SECTION 19: POWER TO PROHIBIT TRANSMISSION OF CERTAIN PROGRAMMES IN PUBLIC INTEREST
Where an officer, not below the rank of a Group 'A' officer of the Central Government authorised by the State Government in this behalf, thinks it necessary or expedient so to do in the public interest, he may, by order, prohibit any cable operator from transmitting or re-transmitting any particular programme if it is likely to promote, on grounds of religion, race, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, linguistic or regional groups or castes or communities or which is likely to disturb the public tranquility.
SECTION 20: POWER TO PROHIBIT OPERATION OF CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK IN PUBLIC INTEREST
Where the Central Government thinks it necessary or expedient so to do in public interest, it may prohibit the operation of any cable television network in such areas as it may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
SECTION 21: APPLICATION OF OTHER LAWS NOT BARRED
The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), the Pharmacy Act, 1948 (8 of 1948), the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (12 of 1950), the Drugs (Control) Act, 1950 (26 of 1950), the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952), the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 (21 of 1954), the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (37 of 1954), the Prize Competitions Act, 1955 (42 of 1955), the Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957), the Trade and Merchandise Marks Act, 1958 (43 of 1958), the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 (60 of 1986) and the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (68 of 1986)
SECTION 22: POWER TO MAKE RULES
(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Officer Gazette, make rules to carry out the provisions of this Act.
(2) In particulars, and without prejudice to the generality of the forgoing power, such rules may provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:-
(a) the form of application and the fee payable under sub-section (2) of section 4;
(b) the programme code under section 5;
(c) the advertisement code under section 6;
(d) the form of register to be maintained by a cable operator under section 7;
(e) any other matter which is required to be, or may be, prescribed.
(3) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.
SECTION 23: REPEAL AND SAVING
(1) The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Ordinance, 1995 (3 of 1995) is hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the said Ordinance, shall be deemed to have been done or taken under the corresponding provisions of this Act.
CABLE TELEVISION NETWORKS RULES, 1994
G.S.R. 729 (E) dated 29.09.1994-In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-sec. (1) of Sec. 22of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Ordinance, 1994 (9 of 1994), the Central Government makes the following rules namely :-
RULE 01: SHORT TITLE AND COMMENCEMENT
-(1) These rules may be called The Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
RULE 02: DEFINITIONS
-In these rules unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "cable operator"' means any person who provides cable service through a cable television network or otherwise controls or is responsible for the management and operation of a cable television network;
(b) "cable service'" means the transmission by cables of programmes including retransmission (by cables of any broadcast television signals);
(c) "cable television network"' means any system consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signals generation, control and distribution equipment, designed to provide cable service for reception by multiple subscribers;
(d) "company" means a company as defined in Sec. 3 of the Companies Act, 1956;
(e) "form" means form appended to these rules;
(f) "person" means-
(i) an individual who is a citizen of India:
(ii) an association of individuals or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, whose members are citizens of India;
(iii) a company in which not less than fifty one percent of the paid-up share capital is held by the citizens of India;
(g) "programme" incans any television broadcast and includes-
(i) exhibition of films, features, dramas, advertisements and serials through video cassette recorders or video cassette players;
(ii) any audio or visual or audio-visual live performance or presentation; and the expression "programming service" shall be construed accordingly;
(h) ("registering authority" means the registering authority notified under Clause (h) of Sec. 2 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Ordinance 1994;)
(i) "subscriber" means a person who receives the signal of cable television network at a place indicated by him to the cable operator, without further transmitting it to any other person.
RULE 03: APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AS A CABLE TELEVISION NETWORK IN INDIA
-(1) Every application for registration as a cable television network in India shall be made in writing in Form-1 and shall be renewable after every twelve months.
(2) The application shall be addressed to the Registering Authority and delivered to his officer in Form-1.
(3) Every application shall be accompanied by-
(a) a fee of Rs. 50/- vide Postal Order No........ dated .......on....... Post Office; and
(b) the requisite documents mentioned in Forms 1 and 2.
RULE 04: EXAMINATION OF APPLICATIONS
(1) On receipt of an application under Rule 3the registering authority shall examine the application having regard to the provisions of Sec. 4of the Ordinance (now Act).
RULE 05: REGISTRATION
-On being satisfied that the applicant fulfils the provisions of the Ordinance (now Act), the registering authority shall issue a registration certificate in Form 3. Provided that where the registering authority is satisfied that the registration cannot be granted to the applicant, he shall inform the applicant in Form 4.
RULE 06: PROGRAMME CODE
(1) No programme should be carried in the cable service which-
(a) Offends against good taste or decency;
(b) Contains criticism of friendly countries;
(c) Contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or promole communal attitudes;
(d) Contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendoes and halftruths;
(e) Is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti- national attitudes;
(f) Contains anything amounting to contempt of court;
(g) Contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary;
(h) Contains anything affecting the integrity of the Nation;
(i) .Criticises, maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country;
(j) Encourages superstition or blind belief:
(k) Denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals;
(l) Denigrates children;
(m) Contains visuals or words which reflect a slandering, ironical and snobbish altitude in the portrayal of certain ethic, linguistic and regional groups;
(n) Contravenes the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.
aaaaa(O) is not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition. Explanation.—For the purpose of this clause, the expression "unrestricted public exhibition" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952)"
(2) The cable operator should strive to carry programmes in his cable service which project women in a positive, leadership role of sobriety, moral and character building qualities.
aaaab"(3) No cable operator shall carry or include in his cable service any programme in respect of which copyright subsists under theR1Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957) unless he has been granted a licence by owners of copyright under that Act in respect of such programme."
(4) Care should he taken to ensure that programmes meant for children do not contain any had language or explicit scenes of violence.
(5) Programmes unsuitable for children must not be carried in the cable service at times when the largest numbers of children are viewing.
RULE 06A: TRANSMISSION OF DOORDARSHAN CHANNELS IN PRIME BAND IN SATELLITE MODE WITHOUT INTERFERENCE TO TERRESTRIAL SIGNAL 10000-EACH CABLE OPERATOR SHALL-
(a) transmit at least two Doordarshan channels on their cable network in the prime band on channels other than those carrying terrestrial broadcast frequencies;
(b) take only satellite signals of Doordarshan channels for transmission on their cable network by dish antenna/TVRO and not yagi antenna: and
(c) not transmit any channel on the cable network in the same frequency band in which Doordarshan channels DD-I and DD-II are transmitted terrestrially, so as to avoid interference.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this rule, the expression- "Prime Band" constitutes frequencies relating to channels falling in the Band I (Channels 2 to 4 ranging from 47 to 68 MHz) and Band III (Channels 5 to 12 ranging from 174 to 230 MHz) of electromagnetic spectrum, which are receivable by conventional TV sets without using any add-on unit or special tuner.
RULE 07: ADVERTISING CODE
(1) Advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of the country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers.
(2) No advertisement shall be permitted which-
(i) derides any race, caste, colour, creed and nationality;
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