SHRI PRASAD STRESSES NEED FOR INDEPENDENT
BROADCASTING REGULATOR
The Minister of Information
& Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has stressed the
need for having an independent regulator for the broadcasting
sector, which he said, is really exploding. He said, this has
been stressed by the fast changing technology, which is overtaking
our reactive policies and there is case for visualizing the broadcasting
scene ten years hence.
Shri Prasad was opening
a ‘Roundtable on the Need and Role of an Independent Regulator
for the TV Broadcasting Sector’ organized here today, by FICCI
under Frames-2004 knowledge series. Representatives from Television
Broadcasting, Cable industry and Radio participated in the Roundtable.
Shri Prasad pointed
out to the great divide among the various stakeholders like broadcasters,
MSOs and the cable operators brought clearly out by the CAS experience
further stresses the need for a regulator. But he made it clear
that the Government has no role in regulation and it has to be
totally independent of any Government control. But, he expressed
concern over the protection of consumer interests.
Another reason for
a regulator, Shri Prasad said is necessitated by the type of content
put out by especially private channels about which various sections
of the society including the members of Parliament and the Women’s
Commission have complained. Shri Prasad regretted that all his
pleas for self-regulation have fallen flat and the obscene and
liquor ads and music videos continue to come back in one form
or the other. It is not possible for the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting to monitor and follow the objectionable content.
But the Minister
said that the Government can’t sit back when the consumer interests
are impinged. He disagreed with the view that everything should
be left to the market forces and said that it was too simplistic
a suggestion. Dependence on market forces to determine the rates
of private pay channels in CAS is the clear indication in this
regard, he said. The Government would come to a conclusion in
this regard after considering all aspects including the relevance
of the Convergence Bill in the wake of CAS, DTH and uplinking
experiences and also international practices, he added.
The overall consensus
at the roundtable was on the immediate need of an independent
regulator for the Broadcasting Sector.
