Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995
No: 7 Dated: Mar, 25 1995
The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995
(Act No. 7 of 1995)
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:
CHAPTER I
Preliminary
1. 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.
2. Definitions .In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,
(a) "authorised officer" means,within his local limits of jurisdiction,
(i) a District Magistrate, or
(ii) a Sub-divisional Magistrate, or
(iii) a Commissioner of Police,
and includes any other officer notified in the Official Gazette, by the Central Government or the State Government, to be an authorised officer for such local limits of jurisdiction as may be determined by that Government;
(ai) "Authority" means the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 (24 of 1997);
(aii) "Broadcaster" means a person or a group of persons, or body corporate, or any organisation or body providing programming services and includes his or its authorised distribution agencies;
(aiii) "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 and fulfils the prescribed eligibility criteria and conditions;
(b) "cable service" means the transmission by cables of programmes including re-transmission by cables 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 citizens of India;
(iii) a company in which not less than fifty-one per cent. of the paid-up share capital is held by the citizens of India;
(ei) "post" means a post and includes a pole, tower, standard, stay, strut, cabinet, pillar or any above ground contrivance for carrying, suspending or supporting any network infrastructure facility;
(f) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(g) "programme" means any television broadcast and includes
(i) exhibition of films, features, dramas, advertisements and serials;
(ii) any audio or visual or audio-visual live performance or presentation, and the expression programming service shall be construed accordingly;
(gi) "public authority" means any authority, body or institution of local selfgovernment constituted or established by or under-
(i) the Constitution of India;
(ii) any law made by Parliament;
(iii) any law made by a State Legislature;
(iv) any notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any-
(v) body owned, controlled or substantially financed; or
(vi) non-governmental organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;
(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 within such local limits of jurisdiction as may be determined by that Government;;
(i) "subscriber" means any individual, or association of individuals, or a company, or any other organisation or body who receives the signals of cable television network at a place indicated by him or it to the cable operator, without further transmitting it to any other person.