With the information and broadcasting ministry still unsatisfied over Star's responses to concerns raised by it, the Inter-Ministerial Group is unlikely to give its nod to the group's proposal to uplink its 24-hour news channel from India.
After several rounds of meetings with representatives of the Star Group and a series of queries and responses, the government is not convinced that Star's application is in line with the uplinking guidelines in letter and spirit.
Ministry sources said there are concerns about editorial control, hiring of personnel, shell companies, which are new and foreign owned and the nature of Media Content and Communications Services, floated by Star to meet the uplinking guidelines.
Though the ministry has not taken a decision on Star's application, a factual note on its suggestions and course of action in the matter would be placed before the IMG when it meets later this week.
However, if there is any delay in the IMG meeting, the ministry is likely to give another extension to Star News, which is operating on a temporary uplinking permission, which expires on Wednesday night.
Worried that Star's proposal smelt of "proxy" editorial control by foreigners, the ministry had sought several answers from Star on the roles of MCCS and Star in the matter.
Star, in its response, said MCCS will take care of content and all its members were resident Indians. But, it also said Star Television Private Ltd, a foreign company, holds the right to review content.
The government had also expressed apprehensions that the foreign company could influence editorial matters and pointed out that the spirit of the guidelines for editorial control was to vest it in the hands of resident Indians.
Sources said in the case of NDTV, which earlier was the content provider for Star, editorial control was completely in its hands.
After the IMG submits its recommendations, the issue will be taken up by a Group of Ministers comprising information and broadcasting minister, law and finance.
In the light of the Star proposal, IMG is also to recommend if the guidelines, which stipulated a 26 per cent foreign equity cap for news channels to uplink from India, required further tightening and plugging loopholes.
If the GoM comes out with concrete proposals for reviewing the uplinking policy, it is expected go to the Cabinet and Star may be given some time to meet the requirements of any revised guidelines.
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