The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is redrafting the controversial Broadcasting Bill in the light of stiff opposition from the broadcasting industry and also actively considering a plan to increase FDI in the cable segment. The new draft would minimise ‘regulatory’ aspects of the Bill, which raised a furore in the industry, said I&B Secretary Asha Swarup along the sidelines of the India Digital Summit on Wednesday in the Capital.The ministry is in the process of holding consultations with the broadcasting industry, which in turn is also working on a self-regulatory content code. “We are redrafting the broadcasting legislation after consultations with stakeholders. we will put forward minimal regulations and most of the controversial issues have been put aside,” said Swarup.She also said plans to hike the FDI in the cable segment from the current limit of 49 per cent to 74 per cent were very much in consideration, but did not specify any time-frame for its implementation. While the ministry may be planning to dilute the ‘regulatory’ clauses and the idea of a content code, it still refuses to relent on the issue of a regulatory authority. The ministry maintains that an overarching regulatory authority is imperative to ensure consumer interests are protected. The draft Broadcasting Bill has proposed creation of a Broadcasting Regulatory Authority with Government officials on board and content auditors in private TV channels reporting to it. The broadcasting industry has vehemently opposed the idea claiming that it amounted to excessive Government control and interference.The big issue is the Government’s ‘intention’ to control or regulate programme content. The industry feels that the Government plans to infringe on its rights as a free media through the two proposed regulations and says ‘draconian’ laws will be applied especially against news channels under the ambit of the Bill if it is allowed to go through. A stringent content code and clauses like ‘national interest’ and right to privacy of a citizen may spell the death knell for investigative journalism and sting operations for broadcasters.
