New Delhi, June 11: After opening the print media to limited foreign investment, the government has now decided to allow Indian newspapers to enter into syndication arrangements with foreign publications under the automatic approval route. However, it has also stipulated certain conditions, which say the total foreign material printed in an issue should not exceed 7.5 per cent.
So far newspapers and periodicals were allowed to procure material like photographs, cartoons, crossword, puzzles, articles and features from foreign publications.
The government has now decided to authorise all registered Indian newspapers to enter into such arrangements under the automatic approval route subject to the guidelines, an official release here said. Under the guidelines, the syndicated material must not include the full copy of the editorial page or the front page of foreign publications, the masthead of the content provider publication should not be used and credit to the content provider is given prominently as a byline.
The material procured under syndication arrangement should be such that it has already been published in the foreign publication.
Any case involving relaxation of the conditions would require to be examined by the information and broadcasting ministry and apply for prior approval before procuring any material. Bureau Report