Urgent need for content regulation in electronic media: I038;B Minister

The Information Broadcasting ministry is seeking a solution for regulation of content in electronic media without impinging on the creative expression.

The Information 038; Broadcasting I038;B ministry is seeking a solution for regulation of content in electronic media without impinging on the creative expression. 8220;The quality of content in electronic media is in urgent need of regulation,8221; Minister for State Information 038; Broadcasting I038;B, Anand Sharma said on Thursday while addressing the Economic Editors8217; Conference.

8220;One area which deserves special attention 8211; the quality of content in electronic media. We are concerned about the issue of content. The Supreme Court has made serious observations on this issue and we feel that there is a strong and urgent need of content regulation of some kind. We are seized by this matter and are trying to find a solution which strikes a balance between freedom of creative expression and the need of content regulation. It is our endeavor to build a consensus on this issue8221;, the minister said.

The proposed Broadcasting Bill which calls for regulation of television content, and proposes setting up of body to monitor content, was strongly opposed by broadcasters who under the aegis of the News Broadcasters Association NAB set up their own self-regulatory mechanism recently.

On the much delayed Bill, Sharma said, 8220;We had sought comments from states and Union Territories on the proposed Bill which would deal with the regulation of content. Till date, we have received replies only from 11 states and four Union Territories.8221; The I038;B ministry will soon be meeting NBA representatives in the light of the recent SC order on the need for content regulation.

Sharma further added that while the FM radio industry has witnessed unprecedented growth and was revolutionalised by the introduction of the Phase-II of FM radio policy in 2005, the Phase III policy will also soon be finalised.

8220;This year, we are in the process of finalisation of Phase-III of this policy which shall expand FM radio services to 275 cities across the world. This policy will follow an even more liberal dispensation than before and would promote healthy competition to benefit the masses. We are proposing foreign direct investment upto 49 for non-news channels and upto 26 for news channels,8221; Sharma said.