Introduction of Broadcasting Bill runs into rough weather

New Delhi, JulY 27 (UNI)The proposed introduction of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill and the content code in the monsoon session of Parliament has run into rough weather due to the stiff resistance by broadcasters.

According to sources, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was finding it extremely difficult to achieve a consensus among the stakeholders regarding the provision of the Bill, because of which its introduction in the monsoon session was highly unlikely.

''Even if the Bill is introduced somehow, it would not have an easy and early passage,'' a source in the Ministry said.

The broadcasters' most strong objection is to the restrictions on the cross media ownership, and the content code as a whole. They have also objections to the nature and composition of the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India, but the opposition is not so severe as in the case of the other two.

The broadcasters are dead against restrictions on cross-media ownership.

''In these times when every media organisation making massive investment in other media houses, it was too late for the government to bring in cross media restrictions. Such a measure will stifle the growth of the Industry,' said an industry representative.

Several media houses have already acquired stakes in print, radio, television, and the Internet, as well as cable operations.

As for content code, most news channels have flatly rejected the idea. ''They have plainly told the government that existing laws under IPC etc were sufficient to regulate the contents.

The Ministry maintains that the code should not be an anathema to broadcasters. It was existing in several democratic countries like the United Kingdom etc. Moreover, there was already a programme code and an advertising code as part of the licence conditions for the service providers.

On this, the industry maintains that the existing codes were sufficient to ensure a healthy media.

Though, there is not so much opposition to the idea of a Regulator, the industry has suggested radical changes in the draft relating to the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India(BRAI).

It feels that the appointment of BRAI chairperson and Members should be done on the recommendation of a committee consisting of eminent group of government and private sector representatives, and there should be complete transparency in their appointment and removal.

The Ministry put the draft code on its website on July 20 for public and stakeholders' comments to be given by August five. After that it will take a final view and consult other ministries.

The same process will be repeated in the case of the broadcast Bill too. Though the draft Bill was released by the Ministry last year, and the Ministry has since then held consultations with broadcasters several times and recently presented a changed draft to them but there was no dilution in the opposition to the Bill.

The government is now finding it an uphill task to arrive at a final view. After making some more changes in the already revised bill it would consult other ministries, which would make it impossible to introduce it in the monsoon session, according to an official in the Ministry.

Broadcasters also feel that the Bill, if it was introduced at all, would not come before the winter session.

''The strong broadcasters lobby is exerting pressure at its command to stall the Bill,'' a source in the Ministry said.

UNI