The committee made this recommendation in a draft action-taken report on its observations and recommendations from the 56th report on the regulation of cable television in India, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The second draft of the Broadcast Bill, introduced in July, was withdrawn in August last year following backlash from media industry stakeholders over the lack of transparency in consultations, which were held with only a select group.
Another major concern of the industry was that the Bill contained vague terms that could potentially grant arbitrary powers to government officials.
In its response to the committee on 17 January, the MIB stated that a fresh draft of the Bill would be published after detailed consultations.
The ministry further explained that once consultations with stakeholders are completed, it will prepare a draft Cabinet Note, which will be circulated for inter-ministerial consultation. Following this, the draft Bill will be submitted for the Cabinet’s consideration.“This process is expected to take some time. The Committee will be duly informed about the progress of this process,” the MIB stated in its response to the committee, which had earlier recommended that the government expedite the formulation of the law while ensuring adequate consultations with stakeholders.The draft Broadcast Bill 2023 was placed in the public domain on 10 November 2023, inviting views, comments, and suggestions from the general public and stakeholders until 9 December 2023. The deadline was later extended to 15 January 2024.
The MIB further stated that it received numerous comments and conducted a series of consultations. Based on the diverse views expressed during these discussions, additional time was granted for feedback until 15 October 2024, it added.
Given the significance of a comprehensive law covering TV, radio, and digital streaming platforms—and the fact that more than three months have passed since the extended deadline for public feedback—the committee has asked the MIB to provide an update on the Bill’s progress.
In its 56th report, the committee highlighted that regulating the cable TV industry involves multiple Acts, rules, guidelines, and regulatory bodies, including the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The committee concurred with the MIB that there is an urgent need for a level playing field for all broadcasting services and for addressing the regulation of satellite-based technologies, which are still governed by outdated legislation.
