MIB asks private TV channels to prominently credit Sansad TV for parliamentary footage

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has advised all private satellite television channels to prominently display the caption “Courtesy: Sansad TV” whenever they use, reproduce, share or incorporate footage of proceedings of either House of Parliament or any programme and content produced or supplied by Sansad TV.

The advisory, dated October 7, 2026, follows the ministry's observation that private television channels were extensively using proceedings and programmes of Sansad TV but were not consistently acknowledging the source of the footage.

Sansad TV provides live and primary television coverage of proceedings of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, besides producing programmes, discussions, interviews, documentaries and other content related to Parliament and current affairs, the ministry said in the advisory.

The ministry noted that such proceedings and programmes are “extensively used, reproduced, excerpted and incorporated” by various private satellite television channels.

However, it observed that the source of such footage was not consistently acknowledged when the content was used or shared by broadcasters.

Uniform attribution sought

Under the advisory, private satellite television channels have been asked to prominently display the caption “Courtesy: Sansad TV” whenever they telecast, reproduce, share or incorporate parliamentary proceedings or any programme or content produced or supplied by Sansad TV.

The ministry said a uniform attribution would provide greater clarity about the source of parliamentary footage and programmes being used across television platforms.

The advisory has been issued with the approval of the competent authority.

The direction has also been circulated to self-regulatory bodies of television channels registered under the Cable Television (Amendment) Rules, 2021, associations and bodies representing electronic media, the Broadcast Seva portal and the MIB website.

Focus on attribution of parliamentary content

The move effectively seeks to establish a standard source-credit practice across private television broadcasters when they use content originating from Sansad TV.

The advisory specifically covers proceedings of both Houses of Parliament, as well as programmes and other content produced or supplied by Sansad TV. It therefore applies not only to live or recorded parliamentary footage but also to other Sansad TV content incorporated into television programming.

The ministry's communication does not specify any new penalty or enforcement mechanism for non-compliance. It also does not set out a particular duration, size or placement for the “Courtesy: Sansad TV” caption beyond requiring that it be displayed prominently.

The communication comes at a time when parliamentary proceedings are routinely carried across television news networks and other broadcast platforms, with broadcasters often using footage from the primary feed for breaking news, political coverage and current-affairs programming.

By asking broadcasters to use a uniform attribution, the ministry has sought to make the provenance of such footage clearer to viewers and distinguish the original parliamentary feed from the subsequent broadcast treatment or editorial packaging by private channels.

The advisory does not otherwise alter the existing arrangement for television coverage of Parliament and is focused specifically on attribution of Sansad TV content.