Towards autonomy

Autonomy for media, at its most effective, must help deepen and strengthen the democratic processes in society. Does the Prasar Bharati Act do this? Because the new Act is a declaration on the part of the government that media autonomy is a principle worthy of institutionalisation, it must be seen as important. But there are numerous grey areas as well. For one, while it provides for a supposedly independent authority to oversee the functioning of DD and AIR 8212; the Broadcasting Corporation of India 8212; this institution will, in turn, be subject to three levels of control. Two of these involve the offices of the usual suspects 8212; ministers, MPs and bureaucrats. Besides this, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communication is also certain to take an inordinate interest in it. So while the government may retire from centrestage, it has repositioned itself for possible backroom manipulation. The Act also retains with the government considerable discretionary powers. Clause 23 of the Act states that the Centre may, as and when the occasion arises, direct the Corporation in the interests of the 8220;sovereignty, unity and integrity8221; of the country not to make a broadcast on a particular matter or to highlight something of public importance. While such a proviso is in order, there is considerable scope for its misuse in the hands of an unscrupulous government.

It is almost 20 years since the idea of such an Act was first mooted by the Verghese Committee and seven years since it was notified. Meanwhile a great deal has happened in the Indian media scene. The Prasar Bharati Act is something of a Rip Van Winkle in terms of legislation since it does not respond to the reality of private satellite channels in the country. Last year, the Nitish Sengupta Committee Report highlighted this anomaly but the Union Government prefers to shut its eyes to it, perhaps because of its Broadcasting Bill which it plans to introduce later this year. Other valuable suggestions given by the Sengupta Committee, like the bifurcation of AIR and DD, have also been given short shrift. Jaipal Reddy, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, ever the diplomat, says that amendments can always be made to the Act once it is notified. This is easier said than done. The nation had to wait for seven years to get this dish of warmed up legislation. Now it is being told to wait for some more years to get a more rational and useful version of it. Strange logic this. Yet, everything considered, the Act is a first step towards media autonomy. The next few, hopefully, will be more purposeful.

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