Govt to table Broadcast Bill during budget session — Jaitley

Asked what changes would be brought into the 1997 bill, he said "it will be a comprehensive legislation which takes care of several areas."

On cable operators’ concern over monopoly by some broadcasters and demand for cross-media restrictions, he said "we are seized of the issue….the bill will address those concerns."

First tabled in 1997, when the United Front was in power, it had been referred to a select committee. The 1997 bill, seeking to establish an autonomous broadcasting authority forfacilitating and regulating broadcasting services in the country, put a 20 per cent limit on media cross-holding.

Jaitley held consultations with various broadcasting companies, cable operators and other concerned organisations last November before giving the bill a final shape.

However, no decision has yet been taken on whether to allow the direct-to-home (DTH) services.

"The new group of ministers is likely to be constituted soon," Jaitley said. A group of ministers had been constituted by the previous Vajpayee Government to go into the issue which has been long pending.

He said the right to Information Bill, to ensure transparency in the functioning of the Government, will soon see the light of day. "The effort is to bring it in the budget session but sometimes you cannot regulate the time."

About the Prasar Bharati, undergoing a review by an experts panel headed by N R Narayanmurthy, infotech expert, Kiran Karnic, head of Discovery Channel in India and Shunu Sen, marketing expert, Jaitley saidhe hoped there would be "something in my hand" by February 22, when the three-month term for the panel expires.

At the same time, the Minister said it was up to the panel whether to submit an interim report.

Asked when posts of a permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and two members in the Prasar Bharati board, which fell vacant after Romila Thapar and Rajendra Yadav, were removed recently, would be filled, he said these decisions will be taken only after the panel submits its final report.To a question whether there were any new channels in the pipeline, he said the current concentration should be on improvement of quality of programmes.However, Jaitley said "some good changes" were taking place in Prasar Bharati.

He said the Prasar Bharati, plagued by overstaffing, was able to launch six regional language channels with the existing staff.

Praising the board’s decision to set up a marketing division, he said Prasar Bharati was trying to market programmes even on news and sports channels whichearlier had no advertising.

Jaitley said he was also happy that the board along with the human resource development ministry had launched an education channel "Gyan Darshan" and that a Kashmir specific channel "Kashir" had been inaugurated at Srinagar.