SUMMARY
- The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided to pull the controversial Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 following strong opposition from stakeholders.
- MIB has decided to extend the deadline for feedback from these groups on the initial draft until October 15.
- MIB has instructed all interested parties to hand in their physical versions of the updated Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, received between July 24 and 25.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has decided to pull the controversial Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 following strong opposition from stakeholders.
At the same time, the MIB has decided to extend the deadline for feedback from these groups on the initial draft until October 15.
The Ministry took to X on Monday August 12 to share, “The Ministry is holding a series of consultations with the stakeholders on the draft bill. Further additional time is being provided to solicit comments/ suggestions till 15th October, 2024. A fresh draft will be published after detailed consultations.”
Sources indicates that the MIB has instructed all interested parties to hand in their physical versions of the updated Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, received between July 24 and 25.
Only certain stakeholders were given access to the draft, all of whom received versions marked with watermarks to indicate they were the latest.
The exact nature of the changes to the bill, whether the entire document will be revised or just specific sections, remains uncertain.
The draft was first shared for feedback in November of the previous year, following the initial upload of the proposed regulations by the ministry on its website. However, reports have emerged suggesting that the ministry has sent the latest version of the bill to the relevant stakeholders last month.
This latest version of the bill has faced criticism from all sides, with industry experts expressing concerns that the proposed rules could label online influencers as broadcasters and categorize them as digital news broadcasters.
Furthermore, those classified as digital news broadcasters would be required to set up content evaluation committees (CEC) at their expense and report these to the government. Failure to comply could lead to fines of up to Rs 2.5 crore.
The latest version of the bill also gives the government the power to stop the broadcast of a program or the operation of a broadcaster if it’s deemed necessary for public or national security.
Even the earlier version of the bill in 2023 was heavily criticized by various groups, with industry organizations arguing that the rules were developed without any consultation.
