The Standing Committee on Communications and Technology has asked Information & Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) to set a deadline to introduce the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill in Parliament at the earliest.
It said that this needs to be done to ensure there is a comprehensive Act regulating Cable Television Industry instead of multiple Acts, rules and guidelines besides multiple regulatory bodies.
“The Committee call upon the Ministry to set a deadline for completing the entire process and introduce the ‘Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill’ in the Parliament at the earliest,” it said in its 57th report.
‘creating a level playing field’
The Committee said it has also learnt that there was an urgent need for “creating a level playing field for all broadcasting services and for addressing the need for satellite-based technologies which” were being regulated through the old legislation. It had earlier opined that the Cable TV Industry needs to be regulated through a comprehensive Act.
In August last year, a draft of the Bill was withdrawn. The second draft of the Broadcast Bill, introduced in July, was also withdrawn in August last year, following criticism from media industry stakeholders over the lack of transparency in consultations.
In its action taken report, the Ministry informed the Committee that a fresh draft would be published after completion of detailed consultations with stakheolders. It also said it would prepare a draft Cabinet note on the Bill to be circulated for Inter-Ministerial consultations, following this, the draft Bill will be submitted for the Cabinet’s consideration. It said that this process will take time.
The draft ‘Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023’ was placed in public domain on November 10, 2023 to seek views from public and stakeholders till December 9, 2023 which was later extended up to January 15, 2024. The Ministry also informed that a number of comments were received, and a series of consultations were done and based on the wide range of views expressed during consultations, additional time was provided for comments till October 15, 2024.