Dasmunsi's talks with broadcasters deferred; difficulties galore

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) The important meeting of the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi with broadcasters on the controversial Broadcasting Services Bill has been postphoned, indicating the difficulties the Ministry is facing over the proposed legislation.

The meeting which was earlier to be held tomorrow will now be held on August 27, a Ministry official said, and ascribed the postponement to Mr Dasmunsi's extremely busy schedule due to the Parliament being in session.

The Ministry wanted to bring in the Bill in Parliament in the current monsoon session.

The broadcasters have put up a strong resistance to some provisions of the Bill which they say would badly impact on the freedom of the media and stiffle the growth of the industry.

They strongly object to the idea of a content code, which would form a part of the Bill, and the restrictions on cross-media ownership.

According to sources, the Ministry is considering some major changes in the Bill so as to make it acceptable to the industry.

'So deferring meeting to August 27 is both due to the Minister's business and the need to give more time to the Ministry to come up with fresh proposals, '' they said.

As far as the content code was concerned, the main objection of the broadcasters was the clause under which the editor is required to report to the government if a dispute arises with the Content Auditor.

Officials said the Ministry was ready to consider all the objections afresh if the broadcasters adopted a creative and positive attitude and did not make the unrealistic assumption that there was no need to regulate the channels.

General Secretray of the newly formed News Broadcasters Association Annie Joseph told UNI that the broadcasters were totally oppposed to the idea of content code and a Broadcaste Regulatory Authority.

''We have already sought 12 months time, as anytime less than that was insufficient to study the Bill and the issues it raised threadbare.We are opposed to the very idea of content code, the Broadcast Regulatory Authority,'' she said.

The Ministry should first have consulted the stakeholders, then come out with the bill, but it has happened the otherway round with the Bill having been first drafted and then broadcasters called for consultation, she added.

UNI