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The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2024 is expected to replace the 30-year-old Cable TV Networks Act of 1995 and address the changing complexion of news broadcasts by regulating all platforms — TV, OTT, and social media.
The Bill has sparked widespread concerns and criticism—particularly about the potential impact on freedom of speech and government overreach—with several stakeholders claiming that it would stifle/gag content creators on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and X.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, August 12, the ministry said it was extending the deadline for consultation to October 15, 2024, and has invited suggestions and comments. The ministry will publish a revised draft of the Bill “reflecting the input received from the public and industry stakeholders.”
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is working on a Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill.
The draft Bill was placed in public domain on 10.11.2023 along with the explanatory notes for comments of the stakeholders and the general public. https://t.co/3A4brxbfLC…
— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) August 12, 2024
In the 2023 draft, the Bill defines news and current affairs programmes as “(i) newly-received or significant audio, visual, or audio-visual programs or live broadcasts, including analyses, concerning recent events primarily of a socio-political, economic, or cultural nature, or (ii) any programs transmitted or retransmitted on a broadcasting network, where the context, purpose, import, and meaning of such programs suggest so.”
The ministry aims to regulate individuals who produce news and current affairs content as a systematic business or commercial activity. The Bill explicitly includes individual creators as part of this framework.
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