Government wraps consultations on broadcasting regulation overhaul

DELHI: India’s big broadcast rulebook reboot has crossed a crucial milestone. The government has completed stakeholder consultations on the Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023, paving the way for the most significant rewrite of media norms in years.

L. Murugan, minister of state for information and broadcasting, informed the Rajya Sabha that all submissions from industry bodies and stakeholders have been examined. The update was in response to an unstarred question raised by MP Saket Gokhale.

First opened for public comment on November 10, 2023, the draft Bill was initially slated to close on December 9, then extended to January 15, 2024. A fresh surge of industry feedback pushed the deadline further to October 15, 2024, reflecting intense scrutiny from broadcasters, streamers and media firms.

Murugan said the government “believes in wide and extensive consultations” as it looks to modernise antiquated broadcasting laws for a digital-first era where TV, OTT and online video increasingly overlap.

The Bill now stands on the runway for take-off. India’s media landscape may be just one push of the throttle away from a radical new flight path.