THE SPORTS BROADCASTING SIGNALS (MANDATORY SHARING WITH PRASAR 
BHARATI) ACT, 2007  

_______ 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 

________ 

CHAPTER I  

PRELIMINARY  

SECTIONS 

1.  Short title, extent and commencement. 
2.  Definitions. 

MANDATORY SHARING OF SPORTS BROADCASTING SIGNALS WITH PRASAR BHARATI 

CHAPTER II  

3.  Mandatory sharing of certain sports broadcasting signals. 
4.  Penalties. 

CHAPTER III  

POWERS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE GUIDELINES 

5.  Power of the Central Government to issue Guidelines. 

CHAPTER IV  

MISCELLANEOUS 

6.  Validation. 
7.  Power of the Central Government to make rules. 
8.  Rules and Guidelines to be laid before Parliament. 
9.  Saving. 
10.  Repeal and saving. 

1 

 
 
 
 
THE SPORTS BROADCASTING SIGNALS (MANDATORY SHARING WITH PRASAR 
BHARATI) ACT, 2007  

ACT NO. 11 OF 2007 

[19th March, 2007.] 

An  Act  to  provide  access  to  the  largest  number  of  listeners  and  viewers,  on  a  free  to  air  basis,  of 
sporting events of national importance through mandatory sharing of sports broadcasting signals 
with Prasar Bharati and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. 

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:– 

CHAPTER I  

PRELIMINARY  

1.  Short  title,  extent  and  commencement.–(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the  Sports  Broadcasting 

Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007. 

(2) It extends to the whole of India. 

(3)  Save  as  otherwise  provided,  it  shall  be  deemed  to  have  come  into  force  on  the  11th  day  of 

November, 2005. 

2. Definitions.–(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,– 

(a) “broadcaster” means any person who provides a content broadcasting service and includes a 
broadcasting  network  service  provider  when  he  manages  and  operates  his  own  television  or  radio 
channel service; 

(b) “broadcasting” means assembling and programming any form of communication content, like 
signs,  signals,  writing,  pictures,  images  and  sounds,  and  either  placing  it  in  the  electronic  form  on 
electro-magnetic waves on specified frequencies and transmitting it through space or cables to make 
it continuously available on the carrier waves, or continuously streaming it in digital data form on the 
computer networks, so as to be accessible to single or multiple users through receiving devices either 
directly or indirectly; and all its grammatical variations and cognate expressions; 

(c) “broadcasting service” means assembling, programming and placing communication content 
in  electronic  form  on  the  electro-magnetic  waves  on  specified  frequencies  and  transmitting  it 
continuously  through  broadcasting  network  or  networks  so  as  to  enable  all  or  any  of  the  multiple 
users to access it by connecting their receiver devices to their respective broadcasting networks and 
includes the content broadcasting services and the broadcasting network services; 

(d) “broadcasting networks service” means a service, which provides a network of infrastructure 
of  cables  or  transmitting  devices  for  carrying  broadcasting  content  in  electronic  form  on  specified 
frequencies by means of guided or unguided electro-magnetic waves to multiple users, and includes 
the management and operation of any of the following: 

(i) Teleport/Hub/Earth Station, 

(ii) Direct-to-Home (DTH) Broadcasting Network, 

(iii) Multi-system Cable Television Network, 

(iv) Local Cable Television Network, 

(v) Satellite Radio Broadcasting Network, 

(vi) any other network service as may be prescribed by the Central Government; 

(e)  “cable  television  channel  service”  means  the  assembly,  programming  and  transmission  by 

cables of any broadcasting television content on a given set of frequencies to multiple subscribers; 

2 

 
(f)  “cable  television  network”  means  any  system  consisting  of  closed  transmission  paths  and 
associated signal generation, control and distribution equipment, designed to receive and re-transmit 
television channels or programmes for reception by multiple subscribers; 

(g) “community radio service” means terrestrial radio broadcasting intended and restricted only to 

a specific community and within specified territory; 

(h)  “content”  means  any  sound,  text,  data,  picture  (still  or  moving),  other  audio-visual 
representation,  signal  or  intelligence  of  any  nature  or  any  combination  thereof  which  is  capable  of 
being created, processed, stored, retrieved or communicated electronically; 

(i)  “content  broadcasting  service”  means  the  assembling,  programming  and  placing  content  in 
electronic  form  and  transmitting  or  retransmitting  the  same  on  electromagnetic  waves  on  specified 
frequencies,  on  a  broadcasting  network  so  as  to  make  it  available  for  access  by  multiple  users  by 
connecting their receiving devices to the network, and includes the management and operation of any 
of the following: 

(i) terrestrial television service, 

(ii) terrestrial radio service, 

(iii) satellite television service, 

(iv) satellite radio service, 

(v) cable television channel service, 

(vi) community radio service, 

(vii)  any  other  content  broadcasting  services  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Central 

Government; 

(j) “Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting service” means a service for multi-channel distribution 
of programmes direct to a subscriber’s premises without passing through an intermediary such as a 
cable operator by up linking to a satellite system; 

(k) “Guidelines” means the Guidelines issued under section 5; 

(l)  “multi-system  cable  television  network”  means  a system  for  multi-channel  downlinking  and 
distribution  of  television  programmes  by  a  land-based  transmission  system  using  wired  cable  or 
wireless  cable  or  a  combination  of  both  for  simultaneous  reception  either  by  multiple  subscribers 
directly or through one or more local cable operators; 

(m)  “Prasar  Bharati”  means  the  Corporation  known  as  the  Prasar  Bharati  (Broadcasting 
Corporation  of  India)  established  under  sub-section  (1)  of  section  3  of  the  Prasar  Bharati 
(Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 (25 of 1990); 

(n) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 

(o)  “satellite  television  service”  means  a  television  broadcasting  service  provided  by  using  a 
satellite, and received with or without the help of a local delivery system but does not include Direct-
to-Home delivery service; 

(p) “satellite radio service” means a radio broadcasting service provided by using a satellite and 

directly receivable through receiver sets by multiple subscribers in India; 

(q) “service provider” means provider of a broadcasting service; 

(r) “specified” means specified under the Guidelines issued under section 5; 

(s) “sporting events of national importance” means such national or international sporting events, 
held in India or abroad, as may be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette to be of 
national importance; 

(t) “terrestrial television service” means a television broadcasting service provided over the air by 

using a land-based transmitter and directly received through receiver sets by the public; 

3 

 
(u) “terrestrial radio service” means a radio broadcasting service provided over the air by using a 

land-based transmitter and directly received through receiver sets by the public. 

(2)  Words  and  expressions  used  and  not  defined  in  this  Act  and  defined  in  the  Cable  Television 
Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 (7 of 1995), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 
of 1997), the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885), the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933 (17 of 
1933) shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in those Acts.  

CHAPTER II  

MANDATORY SHARING OF SPORTS BROADCASTING SIGNALS WITH PRASAR BHARATI 

3.  Mandatory  sharing  of  certain  sports  broadcasting  signals.–(1)  No  content  rights  owner  or 
holder and no television or radio broadcasting service provider shall carry a live television broadcast on 
any  cable  or  Direct-to-Home  network  or  radio  commentary  broadcast  in  India  of  sporting  events  of 
national  importance,  unless  it  simultaneously  shares  the  live  broadcasting  signal,  without  its 
advertisements, with the Prasar Bharati to enable them to re-transmit the same on its terrestrial networks 
and Direct-to-Home networks in such manner and on such terms and conditions as may be specified. 

(2) The terms and conditions under sub-section (1) shall also provide that the advertisement revenue 
sharing between the content rights owner or holder and the Prasar Bharati shall be in the ratio of not less 
than 75:25 in case of television coverage and 50:50 in case of radio coverage. 

(3) The Central Government may specify a percentage of the revenue received by the Prasar Bharati 
under sub-section (2), which shall be utilised by the Prasar Bharati for broadcasting other sporting events. 

4. Penalties.–The Central Government may specify penalties to be imposed, including suspension or 
revocation of licence, permission or registration, for violation of various terms and conditions as may be 
specified under section 3, subject to the condition that amount of a pecuniary penalty shall not exceed one 
crore rupees: 

Provided  that  no  penalty  shall  be  imposed  without  giving  a  reasonable  opportunity  to  the  service 

provider: 

Provided further that no act or omission on the part of any person after the 11th November, 2005 and 
before  the  date  of  promulgation  of  the  Sports  Broadcasting  Signals  (Mandatory  Sharing  with  Prasar  
Bharati) Ordinance, 2007(Ord. 4 of 2007), shall be subjected to penalties.  

CHAPTER III  

POWERS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO ISSUE GUIDELINES 

5. Power of the Central Government to issue Guidelines.–The Central Government shall take all 
such  measures,  as  it  deems  fit  or  expedient,  by  way  of  issuing  Guidelines  for  mandatory  sharing  of 
broadcasting signals with Prasar Bharati relating to sporting events of national importance: 

Provided  that  the  Guidelines  issued  before  the  promulgation  of  the  Sports  Broadcasting  Signals 
(Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Ordinance, 2007(Ord. 4 of 2007), shall be deemed to have been 
issued validly under the provisions of this section.  

CHAPTER IV  

MISCELLANEOUS 

6.Validation.–(1)  The  provisions  of  the  Guidelines  issued  by  the  Central  Government  for 
Downlinking of Television Channels on the 11th November, 2005 and for Uplinking from India on the 
2nd December, 2005 for mandatory sharing of the sports broadcasting signals shall be deemed to be valid 
as if they have been issued under this Act.  

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in any judgement, decree or order of any court, tribunal or 
other  authority,  any  action  taken  by  the  Central  Government  or  the  Prasar  Bharati  in  pursuance  of  the 
Guidelines referred to in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be and to have always been for all purposes in 
accordance  with  the  law,  as  if  the  Guidelines  had  been  validly  in  force  at  all  material  times  and 
notwithstanding anything as aforesaid and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions, 

4 

 
no legal proceeding shall be maintained or continued in any court for the enforcement  of any direction 
given by any court or any decree or order which would not have been so given had the Guidelines been 
validly in force at all material times. 

7.  Power  of  the  Central  Government  to  make  rules.–The  Central  Government  may,  by 

notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act. 

8.  Rules  and  Guidelines  to  be  laid  before  Parliament.–Every  rule  and  Guidelines  made  and 
issued, as the case may be, under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made or issued, 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 Guidelines, or both Houses agree that the rule or Guidelines should not be made, the rule or 
Guidelines 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  be  without  prejudice  to  the  validity  of 
anything previously done under that rule or Guidelines.  

9.  Saving.–The  relevant  provisions  under  the  Guidelines  for  Downlinking  of  Television  Channels 
issued  on  the  11th  November,  2005  and  the  Guidelines  for  Up  linking  from  India  issued  on  the  2nd 
December, 2005 for mandatory sharing of sports broadcasting signals with Prasar Bharati, shall continue 
to remain in force till fresh Guidelines are issued under this Act. 

10.  Repeal  and  saving.–(1)  The  Sports  Broadcasting  Signals  (Mandatory  Sharing  with  Prasar 

Bharati) Ordinance, 2007 (Ord. 4 of 2007) is hereby repealed.  

(2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar 
Bharati) Ordinance, 2007 (Ord. 4 of 2007), 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. 

________ 

5 

 
