News broadcasters seek exemption from advisory on national interest content

In a letter sent on February 14 to Sanjiv Shankar, Joint Secretary (Broadcasting), the news broadcasters body, National Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) wrote: “…members of NBDA are already producing and airing news programming content that is in consonance with Clause 35 of the Guidelines 2022 and therefore, no separate and further compliance under the said Advisory can be mandated.”

With the detailed advisory pertaining to the matter issued on January 30 by the I&B Ministry, the government had said that national interest content, at least 30-minute at a stretch, can be embedded in the programmes being telecast. They are now required to keep a record of the content telecast for a period of 90 days. The Electronic Media Monitoring Centre under the I&B Ministry, shall keep the record. The government has also asked them to submit a monthly report online at the Broadcast Seva Portal.

Avinash Pandey, CEO of ABP Network, who heads the NBDA with 26 news broadcasters as members, said, “We have written to the ministry but haven’t got any response so far…”

However, he added, I&B Minister Anurag Thakur had submitted during Parliament’s Winter Session that this is “voluntary”. So, for the Ministry to enforce it is against the spirit of that submission in Parliament, he said.

Clause 35 of the Guidelines says, “As airwave/ frequencies are public property and need to be used in the best interest of the society, a company/ LLP having permission under these guidelines for uplinking a channel and its downlinking in India (other than foreign channels only downlinked in India) may undertake public service broadcasting for a minimum period of 30 minutes in a day on themes of national importance and of social relevance.”