New Delhi: The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, which was put up for consultation in the public domain on November 10 by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, embroiled in a controversy on Saturday.
Quoting a report by Hindustan Times, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar accused the government of supplying ‘Final Bill’ quietly to big business houses and interest groups.
“Minister’s reply to my parliament ques that Broadcasting Bill is still in drafting stage— is MISLEADING. The Final Bill has quietly been supplied to big businesses houses and interest groups! Why’s he not placing it in Parliament?? (sic)” Sircar posted on X.
Simultaneously, the content creators joined forces to attack the Modi government by interpreting the draft bill as per their understanding with Dhruv Rathi attempting to amplify the conversation using #StopTheBroadcastBill.
On Saturday, the HT report clearly said that the "second draft", shared with stakeholders earlier this week and reported on by HT on July 26, has not been placed in the public domain.
“Stakeholders were instructed to collect their individual copies of the second draft from Shastri Bhawan and give an undertaking that they would not share the Bill further. Each copy given to stakeholders is unique, as it bears a watermark across each page that is unique to the stakeholder so that the MIB can trace leaks,” the report said.
In its July 26 report, HT said that the individuals who routinely upload videos to social media, make podcasts or write about current affairs online could be classified as digital news broadcasters, according to the new draft of the broadcasting bill that the government shared with stakeholders.
The 2024 version proposes to bring them under the ambit of the law by introducing a new category called digital news broadcasters, said HT.
The senior ministry officials told BestMediaInfo.com that there is an attempt to peddle a negative narrative about the draft bill.
“The Draft Bill is in the consultation stage. Calling this Final Bill is inappropriate and mischievous,” said a senior I&B official.
“Public consultation is over and the content creators had the opportunity to comment on the draft. In a general progression, it has been sent to stakeholders and industry bodies for further consultation. The government will make it public at an appropriate time,” the official added.
When asked about introducing a new category called digital news broadcasters in the second draft, the I&B sources told BestMediaInfo.com that the first draft was raw.
“There are cosmetic changes in the draft. The different categorisation is a result of consultation,” sources added.
Defining News and Current Affairs Programmes, the first draft said “Any person who broadcasts news and current affairs programs through an online paper, news portal, website, social media intermediary, or other similar medium but excluding publishers of newspapers and replica e-papers of such newspapers, as part of a systematic business, professional, or commercial activity shall adhere to the Programme Code and Advertisement code referred to in Section 19.
Section 20 of the first draft Bill explained that individuals or organizations broadcasting news and current affairs content online, such as through websites, social media, or news portals, need to follow the Program Code and advertisement code mentioned in Section 19.
The first draft had put individual news and current affairs presenters via social media under the definition of News and Current Affairs Programmes.
It is not that they have been added in the second draft, said ministry sources.
The first draft already excluded newspapers and their e-papers.
“Further classification will ensure medium-wise policy,” sources said.
“Calling the draft a ‘Final Bill’ is incorrect and misleading. Content creators of the News and Current Affairs were already a part of the first draft. Public consultation was already done. Stakeholders consultation is going on. What is the hoopla all about?” the I&B official said.
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