Parl Panel to hold ‘constructive’ talks with ministry on Broadcast Bill

The parliamentary standing committee on communications and data expertise mentioned it should interact in constructive discussions with the data and broadcasting ministry on the proposed Broadcasting Companies Regulation Invoice, 2023, which has created a furore within the TV broadcasting and over-the-top (OTT) segments.

In its 56th report titled ‘Regulation of Cable Tv in India’, the committee, headed by Shiv Sena MP Prataprao Jadhav, additionally requested the ministry to apprise it concerning the timeline when the ministry would introduce the draft Invoice in Parliament. “The committee would additional like to have interaction in constructive discussions concerning the proposed draft laws at a extra mature stage of its formulation,” the report mentioned.

The Invoice, which seeks to switch the Cable Tv Networks Regulation Act, 1995, goals to deliver TV, OTT, radio, cable, DTH, IPTV and HITS underneath a standard regulatory framework. It was launched for public session on November 10, 2023, and the final date for furnishing feedback was January 15 this yr.

Whereas paying attention to the challenges confronted by cable TV service suppliers within the nation, the committee mentioned the trade must be regulated by way of a complete legislation and requested the ministry to make sure that the proposed Invoice is launched on the earliest. It mentioned the draft Invoice would go a good distance in addressing the problems confronted by the cable TV trade. Cable TV is regulated by a number of legal guidelines and regulators, together with the ministry, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the division of telecom.

It additionally requested the ministry to “make sure that sufficient consultations are carried out with all of the involved stakeholders”. The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Basis and Information Broadcasters and Digital Affiliation have raised issues that the Invoice makes an attempt to present unbridled powers to the federal government to intrude with content material creation and dissemination course of. On the difficulty of broadcast tariff, the committee mentioned TV distributors must be given the liberty to select and select channels from the broadcaster bouquets since they’re the hyperlink between the shoppers and broadcasters.

“To safeguard client pursuits and promote freedom of alternative, the committee recommends that distribution platform operators be granted the authority to pick out particular person channels from broadcasters’ bouquets,” the committee mentioned.

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