Broadcasting services bill draws flak from media bodies

SUBHASHIS MITTRA

The provisions in the draft of a controversial broadcasting services bill have raised certain apprehensions in the minds of media bodies.

 

The draft is reported to have proposed wide-ranging regulations on independent news creators on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and X, expanding its remit from OTT content and digital news content.

 

The government had released the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, in November last year to bring a consolidated legal framework for the broadcasting sector and also bring in its ambit the OTT content, digital news and current affairs.

 

Media bodies say it smacks of creating a multi-layered legal system to regulate and censor content in the digital space.

 

Ritu Kapur, General Secretary of DigiPub News India Foundation -- an organisation representing more than 90 digital news publishers -- said it had reached out to the government to allow it to be part of the consultation process on the draft legislation but had received no response yet.

 

She said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has held closed-door consultations with selective stakeholders, and larger discussions with digital media organisations and associations of civil society have so far not taken place.

 

Anant Nath, President of the Editors Guild of India, said the Broadcasting Services Bill is one more step in creating a multi-layered legal system to regulate, control, monitor and censor content in the country which started with the IT Rules in 2021.

 

The bill would replace the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995 and encompass a wider range of platforms and technologies.

 

The 2023 draft, published in November 2023, included a programme code for OTT platforms (streaming platforms), while the 2024 draft brings online content creators under the ambit of the law by introducing a new category called "digital news broadcasters".

 

The bill seeks to establish a new regulatory body called the Broadcasting Authority of India (BAI) to oversee the implementation of the bill and regulations.

 

Other proposed changes include:

 

Data localisation: Requirement for certain platforms to store data in India.

 

Self-regulation: A two-tier system of self-regulation with an option for government intervention in case of non-compliance.

 

Content evaluation Committee: A committee to evaluate content and certify its compliance with the code.

 

Transparency and grievance redressal: Measures to ensure transparency in decision-making and provide viewers with effective grievance redressal mechanisms.

 

The stated objectives of the bill are:

 

Consolidation: To bring all forms of broadcasting under a single, streamlined regulatory framework.

 

Content regulation: To address issues like hate speech, fake news, and violence through content codes and age verification mechanisms.

 

Promoting local content: To increase the presence of Indian programming across all platforms.

 

Viewer protection: To safeguard viewers' interests by ensuring program quality, transparency, and grievance redressal mechanisms.

 

Balancing freedom and accountability: To uphold freedom of expression while holding platforms accountable for harmful content.