New Delhi, Oct 9 (IANS) Faced with a deluge of applications from those wishing to start a new TV channel, the information and broadcasting ministry has written to the telecom watchdog TRAI seeking its advice on introducing additional criteria to weed out non-serious players.

Over 100 applications are pending with the information and broadcasting ministry for licence to start new TV channels. Currently, 454 Indian TV channels are on air, according to the list put up by the ministry on its website. Four months ago, the ministry had cleared 22 new TV channels.

The additional requirements could include the financial viability of channels, a more rigorous background check of the profile of operators and their commitment to the welfare of employees, ministry sources said.

The ministry has written to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman J.S. Sharma on the issue of stricter criteria, and the TRAI response is awaited, the sources said.

The move has been prompted by a host of factors, including a shortage of spectrum that is needed for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning to auction spectrum space.

An assessment of financial viability of a new TV channel will also be an important criterion as the mortality rate of new operations is quite high. This jeopardises job security of people working for these channels, the sources said.

The ministry started thinking of new guidelines in the wake of reports of some fly-by-night TV channels using unscrupulous methods to boost their ratings and to blackmail opponents.

The sources added that the new guidelines will be finalised in consultation with all stakeholders, including media professionals in charge of the existing channels.

The government, however, has no desire to constrain anyone from launching a new media enterprise, an extension of freedom of expression guaranteed by the Indian constitution, but is only trying to weed out non-serious players, they said.