Incentive-based regulations for TV content

NEW DELHI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on Tuesday suggested the government come out with incentive-based regulations rather than resort to coercion for controlling television content.
    
Delivering the presidential address during the first AGM of NBA, its president G Krishnan said that in the changing scenario, government regulations should be incentive-based rather than being coercive.
    
"The incentive-based approach would promote and encourage flexibility to allow every opportunity to adjust quickly and decisively... The opportunity is to ensure that government comes out with forward looking regulations," he said and asked the government to remove "antiquated regulations".
    
"The industry and government must work together in a public-private partnership to meet the new challenges and to strengthen the broadcasting industry rather than strangulate the industry", Krishnan said.
    
Referring to recommendations by TRAI on television ratings, where it has suggested that it can control content regulation while self-regulation can be governed by an industry body "with government involvement and government guidelines covering the organisational structure...for television rating system", Krishnan said "TRAI has no role in laying down guidelines for industry research... and it should not tread upon territory it is not empowered to go into".