NaMo TV Is Ad Platform Launched By DTH Service Providers: I&B To Election Commission

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is learnt to have responded to an Election Commission notice on NaMo TV Friday, saying it is an advertisement platform launched by DTH service providers which does not require government nod.

The ministry is also said that NaMo TV is not a regular channel and it does not figure in the official list of approved channels, a source said.

The Information and Broadcasting ministry told the poll panel that as per the existing norms, no approval is required from the it to run such advertising platforms, the source said.

On Tuesday, the EC had issued a notice seeking a report from the ministry on NaMo TV, launched just weeks ahead of the general election, after opposition parties, including the Congress, asked the poll body to direct the ministry to suspend the channel as it was violative of the Model Code of Conduct.

The EC will take a call on whether it violated the model code after going through the documents the ministry files.

Here's all you need to know about NaMo TV channel:

• NaMo TVchannel, also called 'Content TV', carries the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its logo.
• It was launched on March 31, nearly two weeks after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect and ahead of the Lok Sabha polls beginning April 11.
• The channel, available on various DTH and cable TV platforms, broadcast election rallies, speeches of the prime minister and interviews of BJP leaders.
• Though the ruling BJP has maintained that it does not own the channel or the platform, its official Twitter handle had urged people to watch it for the prime minister's election campaign.
• Union minister Piyush Goyal had also tweeted about the channel number while asking viewers to watch the prime minister's events.
• DTH service provider Tata Sky recently put out a tweet saying “NaMo TV is a Hindi News service which provides the latest breaking news on national politics.”
• It also said “the channel is added to all the subscribers as a launch offer. There is no option to delete the individual channel.”
• According to a report in The Print, NaMo TV never applied for a broadcast licence. It also does not have a compulsory security clearance.