Govt thinking on interim broadcast regulator

NEW DELHI: The Government is considering a proposal by industry chambers to set up an interim broadcast regulator, since the reworked Broadcast Bill is unlikely to be placed in Parliament during the upcoming winter session.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has submitted a paper to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry with several suggestions on composition of such an interim authority, senior I&B Ministry officials said here today.
"It is a common practice to set up an interim regulator in many countries....FICCI has made its suggestions and we are studying these," they said.
For the second time in six years, Government is planning to frame a comprehensive legislation for the broadcasting sector, which may propose a regulator with only quasi-judicial powers but no licensing authority.
However, a regulator with only quasi-judicial powers and no licensing authority will be a major dilution of what the Broadcasting Bill 1997 proposed.
Among the issues a consensus has yet to emerge on whether the regulator will be modelled on the line of the proposed Convergence Commission or be set up independent of that idea.
Also, it is still not clear whether such a regulator will regulate content only or look into other issues related to the broadcasting sector as well.