The Hindu : National : States unanimous on regulatory mechanism for electronic media

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Thursday, Sep 20, 2007
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States unanimous on regulatory mechanism for electronic media

Anita Joshua

Union I&B Ministry to seek views of CMs and place the matter before the PM

NEW DELHI: State Governments were unanimous on Wednesday in seeking a regulatory mechanism for the electronic media.

Though the contentious Broadcasting Services Regulatory Bill did not come in for threadbare discussion at the 26th State Information Ministers’ Conference here, Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said there was a broad consensus on the need to bring the electronic media under some kind of regulation.

Briefing media persons after the daylong meeting, Mr. Dasmunsi said the Ministry would now seek the views of all Chief Ministers on the issue and then place the matter before the Prime Minister.

Earlier, in his inaugural address, the Minister said that while the Government did not want to dictate terms to the media, “a free society does not mean that there could be a scenario of ‘go as you like’ and the people have no choice but to digest or absorb it.”

About the efforts to legislate on this issue for well over a decade now, Mr. Dasmunsi pointed out that the intention of the Government was “to develop a system where accountability and responsibility could be adhered to in the true spirit of the programme code and advertisement code”.

Referring to the consultations that have taken place on the proposed legislation, he pointed out that consumer organisations and civil society groups were clamouring for a regulatory mechanism.

Among the States, Rajasthan was particularly vocal in pressing for regulation. It drew attention to television coverage of widespread violence in the State recently over reservation for Gujjars, an issue that had seen the I&B Ministry intervening and asking the electronic media to tone down their content.

Another issue on which there was unanimity pertained to entertainment tax, with all State Governments in principle agreeing to reduce it to help the film and cinema exhibition industry.

As to whether the States had agreed on a maximum quantum of tax, Mr. Dasmunsi said it was for each State administration to work that out.

On the issue of allowing private FM radio stations to air news and current affairs, the Minister said it would be revisited only after evolving a selective monitoring mechanism; particularly in view of the concerns raised by the Home Ministry about content aired by networks in border and disturbed areas.

As for community radio, the Chhattisgarh Government demanded that the entire broadcasting sector be placed in the Concurrent List and panchayats allowed to have their own networks in the true spirit of decentralisation.

Answering a question on the bid to impose restrictions on cross-media ownership, the Minister said India was not the first country to suggest such a move.

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