IMG wants flexibility of broadcasters in carrying socially relevant programmes on TV channels and has called the proposed cross-media rules “ill-considered.”
NEW DELHI: The Indian Media Group (IMG) wants the government to consult the yet-to-be formed Broadcasting Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) before formulating any policy in the broadcasting sector. Also, the provisions of the proposed Broadcast Bill must be applied to public broadcaster Prasar Bharati as well, IMG has said in its inputs on the draft broadcast Bill sent to the information and broadcasting ministry.
IMG wants flexibility of broadcasters in carrying socially relevant programmes on TV channels and has called the proposed cross-media rules “ill-considered.”
IMG comprises media groups like Zee, Times of India, India Today, Sri Adhikari Brothers, Dainik Bhaskar, NDTV, Dainik Jagran, Ganashakti, Channel 7 and Maa TV.
On the clauses relating to the public broadcaster, IMG has argued that Prasar Bharati is competing with other channels like any other commercial broadcasting organisation, and therefore all the proposals of the Broadcast Bill must apply to it too.
The Indian Media Group has also objected to the blanket authorisation given to Prasar Bharati to prescribe name of Doordarshan channels to be carried on prime band by cable operators. “These provisions must be deleted,” IMG has stressed. Either the BRAI or any other authority may be empowered to specify the channels of national importance which are to be compulsorily carried on cable network.
On the proposal of the draft broadcast bill that every channel must carry socially relevant programmes for up to 10% of the commercial time every week, IMG has argued that it should be the discretion of the broadcaster to fulfil this requirement as part of programming time or commercial time.
The group also wants that the broadcasting licence must be valid for five years, instead of one, as suggested in the draft bill. Another point IMG has made is that new modes of broadcasting such as IPTV (internet protocol TV) and HITS (headend in the sky) should be included in the Bill.
Regarding the clause ‘central government to exercise certain powers in public interest’, the media group has suggested that there should be provision for carrying out a review of the government decision.
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