Passage Of Broadcasting Bill Likely To Be Deferred

Intense lobbying may see the proposed broadcasting bill being referred to a Parliamentary select committee or standing committee on communications and its passage deferred from the current session of the house to the monsoon session.

The sub-committee of the cabinet, headed by Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, while broadly endorsing the proposals on a comprehensive broadcasting legislation prepared by the information and broadcasting ministry, left the cabinet to decide on ticklish issues like uplinking from India and cross-media restrictions.

Corporate sources have also pointed out that there is a substantial amount of truth in reports about STAR TV/News Corps business involvement in Karnataka, which also happens to be Gowdas home state.

 

According to government sources, political and legal compulsions are likely to force the government to refer the bill even after it has been tabled in Parliament to another committee for further debate on the issue.

Some constituents of the United Front government are of the opinion that all broadcasters beaming into India should be mandatorily required to uplink from here by setting up earth stations in India. Those who do not should be banned.

Contrary to this stand, the proposed bill allows broadcasters and channel operators to choose between setting up base in India or obtaining a licence from the proposed regulatory authority to be treated as legal entities.

Media analysts say if the bill does not get enacted this session, it will give the Rupert Murdoch-controlled STAR time to consolidate its position for the future. But the delay may affect the interests of Indian firms like Modi Entertain-ment. On the other hand, companies like Zee TV would like to see the bill passed so that regulations can be put in place soon to stop Murdoch from extending his dominance in India too.

Just before the Budget session started, both STAR TV and Zee TV intensified their lobbying with politicians of all hues. Reportedly, a very senior executive of Zee Networks had dinner late last week with a senior Rajya Sabha member who nurtures ambitions of becoming the next vice-president. The same executive also met a senior information & broadcasting ministry official the next day, a Sunday.

STAR functionaries too have been active with former bureaucrats now on the rolls of News TV India, the company which manages the affairs of STAR in India meeting their former colleagues and even senior politicians.