Government has examined stakeholders’ views on draft Broadcast Bill: I&B Ministry
Union Minister of State L Murugan
| Photo Credit:
ANI
The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has completed stakeholder consultation on the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2023, the Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L Murugan informed Parliament on Friday.
The draft Broadcasting Service (Regulation) Bill-2023, which had sparked a debate, seeks to regulate both traditional broadcasters and new-age digital platforms, including OTT streaming services and online news and content creators.
In a written reply to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha, he stated that the draft Bill was placed in public domain on November 10, 2023. Views and suggestions were sought on the Bill till October 15, 2024.
“Based on the diverse suggestions received from stakeholders, including media and entertainment industry associations, the government extended the comment period until October 15,2024,” he added.
“The suggestions received from all stakeholders have been examined. Government believes in wide and extensive consultations,” Murugan further stated in his reply.
The draft Bill, which was placed for public consultation, seeks to overhaul the regulatory framework governing television broadcasters, cable operators, OTT platforms, digital news entities and social media streaming. The draft proposes to establish a unified framework for regulating broadcasting services and replacing the current Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and other policy guidelines governing broadcasting.
Last year, informal consultations on the draft Bill and some proposed changes had led digital publishers, OTT and broadcasters to raise concerns about the expansion of government’s regulatory powers, and burden smaller players with compliance norms similar to traditional TV networks. After the furore over the Bill, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, in August last year, had put the draft legislation on hold, contending that the measure would require extensive consultations.
Published on December 5, 2025
