Hereafter the Cable TV Licence work is not a part of Post Office work

D.O. No. N-45001/4/2024-DAS Dated: 7 January, 2025

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting administers the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules made thereunder, inter a/ia, providing for grant of registration to Local Cable Operators (LCOs).

2. Rule 2(e) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 (the Rules), inter a/ia, defines the registering authority for LCOs as the Head Post Master of the head post office of the area within whose territorial jurisdiction the office of the cable operator is situated.

3. Accordingly, the LCO registration process is carried out in an offline manner by the post offices. The LCOs and their associations have time and again raised the issues of cumbersome offline process, less validity period and restrictive operational are before this Ministry at various platforms.

4. It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that this Ministry has launched an online module under Broadcast Seva Portal (LCO module) (www.new.broadcastseva.gov.in) for LCO registration and the necessary amendments to the rules to such effect are due for notification in the Official Gazette today, inter a/ia, providing for the following:

(a) Section Officer in this Ministry dealing with digital addressable system shall be the registering authority.

(b) Validity of registration shall be for 5 years.

(c) Processing fee for grant! renewal of registration shall be Rs. 5,000/- and will be deposited through Bharatkosh Portal.

 

5. In this regard, necessary directions to the LCOs are also being issued as under: -

(a) New applications for LCO registrations shall be made on the LCO module.

(b) Existing LCO registration shall be valid for the period mentioned therein and application for renewal, if any, may be made on LCO module at least 90 days prior to the expiry date.

(c) Applications for renewal, in respect of registrations set to expire in less than 90 days, if any, shall be made immediately on LCO module.

(d) Persons whose application for registration! renewal of registration is pending with the Local head post office shall withdraw their applications and apply on the LCD module.

6. As any registration granted by the post office after publication of the amendment rules in the Official Gazette would be invalid, I request you to issue necessary instructions so that the post offices stop accepting new applications and do not grant any new registration from today.

7. Further, the post offices may be directed to refund the fees deposited by such applicants whose applications are pending and to inform them to apply afresh on LCD module after withdrawing their applications.