MIB adds new provisions to draft broadcasting bill
The government has added a new provision to the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill that grants the central government power to direct any internet service provider or social media company to take “appropriate action for implementation” of the Bill, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) told stakeholders in its presentation during the consultation on July 9.
At the same presentation, the MIB also acknowledged that for stakeholders, the impact of inclusion of OTT and digital news services was the major point of concern in the bill.
The Bill was released for public consultation on November 10 last year. In the July 9 meeting, the I&B secretary told senior officials to share the updated draft with stakeholders to receive comments by July 31 but the draft has not been shared thus far. In the July 9 presentation, during the discussion the same day, and in an email sent on June 3, the MIB made it clear that there is a difference between linear broadcasters and on-demand broadcasting services that the Bill recognises by allowing for different programme and advertising codes for them. The MIB will also review the existing programme and advertising codes, and all new codes will be framed only after due consultation.
MIB said that in the new draft, OTT and digital news broadcasters have been exempted from criminal penalties for failing to intimate to the government on reaching the prescribed threshold.
Unlike all other broadcasters in the bill who are required to register with the government, both OTT broadcasting services, and any person “who broadcasts news and current affairs programs” online, including through social media, have to provide an intimation to the central government of their operations if they have Indian subscribers or viewers above a to-be-defined threshold.
The composition of the Content Evaluation Committee (CEC) will be decided by the broadcasters in the updated draft. In the new draft, programmes such as news and current affairs, programs already certified by the CBFC and others as may be notified are part of this list, the June 3 email said.