I&B ministry extends feedback deadline for Broadcasting Bill to October 15

The draft of Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024 was circulated for feedback as part of an ongoing consultation process that started in November 2023 with the upload of the initial draft

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Monday announced an extension for submitting feedback on the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill. The deadline has been moved to October 15, allowing time for comprehensive discussions with stakeholders before releasing a revised draft.
 

The initial draft, accompanied by explanatory notes and a call for public and stakeholder comments, was made available in November last year.
 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the ministry said, “The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is working on a Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill. The draft Bill was placed in the public domain on November 10, 2023 along with the explanatory notes for comments of the stakeholders and the general public. In response, multiple recommendations/ comments/ suggestions were received including from various Associations.”
 

It further said, “The ministry is holding a series of consultations with the stakeholders on the draft bill. Further additional time is being provided to solicit comments/ suggestions till 15th October, 2024. A fresh draft will be published after detailed consultations.”

The latest draft of the Bill, shared with specific stakeholders through watermarked copies but not made public, raised several concerns about certain provisions and the overall consultation approach.
 

One major point of criticism was a provision in the draft that could classify most online influencers as broadcasters if they address current affairs in their content.

Bill redefines online content creators

The proposed Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, known as BSRB, categorises all online content creators — ranging from independent YouTube and Instagram journalists to LinkedIn as ‘thought leaders’ and newsletter writers — as either OTT broadcasters or digital news broadcasters, depending on the context.
 

Under this Bill, broadcasters exceeding a government-defined threshold would be mandated to establish content evaluation committees (CEC) to pre-certify their content, among other obligations. The committee must work towards ensuring diversity by including members knowledgeable about various social groups, women, child welfare, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities. The government would need to be informed about the names of individuals included in their CEC.

New guidelines for digital media

Additionally, the draft included due diligence guidelines for intermediaries regarding the programmes they broadcast and sought to regulate advertising intermediaries. Stakeholders were informed that their comments on the draft are no longer necessary.
 

The Bill aimed to validate the ‘Code of Ethics’ outlined in the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021, which have been stayed by the Bombay High Court and the Madras High Court.