Media groups prefer self-regulation instead of central broadcasting regulatory authority

Mumbai, Dec 7 (ANI): India's top media executives on Sunday said they favoured self-regulation instead of a central broadcasting regulatory authority.

News Broadcasters' Association (NBA) said it believed in self-regulation.

"NBA view is very clear that it believes in self-regulation. If you see what NBA has done in two years, it has made content, which is available on the website. Secondly NBA has formed an authority headed by an ex-chief justice. If anybody has any complaint, it can be sent to the authority which has power to take action and a channel can be penalized. So, we believe in self-regulation. If any viewer has any suggestion we will take measures to strengthen our self regulation, but our view is very clear that only self regulation will work we are following it," said NBA president Sameer Manchanda.

NBA's secretary general N K Singh said a central regulatory body would be against the tenets of democracy.

"Broadcast Editors' Association, which is the organisation of television editors, fully rejects any attempt taken by the government in the direction of forming a regulatory authority. There is a reason for this-in democracy media is the only medium through which public grievances are ventilated and they are directly converted into pubic opinion. So, it cannot be considered that government regulate media by a superstructure," Singh said added.

Earlier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has that it trying to reach a consensus on the issue.

"It is a matter of discussion whether broadcasting regulatory authority should be formed or there should be self-regulation. We have had interaction with several people and industry, so when we get to know each other's opinion it becomes easier to reach to a conclusion," Soni said.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry had put up a proposal to set up a broadcasting regulatory authority of India by enactment of legislation for ensuring orderly growth of broadcasting services in the year 2007. (ANI)