Parl panel asks MIB to form an umbrella body for media

THE PANEL HAS RECOMMENDED BRINGING MIB, IT MINISTRY AND TELECOM DEPT UNDER ONE UMBRELLA

- Aditi Agrawal

NEW DELHI: The parliamentary standing committee on communications and information technology has formally recommended that the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) should consider creating a Media Council to bring different forms of media including print, broadcast and digital under one umbrella body for better coordination and implementation of governing laws.

HT first reported on January 31 about the discussions by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey-led panel proposing such a Media Council.

Even before the committee's formal recommendation on Friday, MIB has discussed the formation of such a body, modelled after the Press Council of India (PCI), a person aware of the matter said.

In its eleventh demand for grants for MIB report tabled in parliament, the committee also recommended that the government should consider bringing MIB, IT ministry and department of telecommunications under one umbrella to address regulatory issues stemming from technological convergence.

The committee noted that the MIB aims to expand its regulatory scope through the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, which would shift oversight of over-the-top (OTT) content and digital news from the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to MIB as per the allocation of business.

The MIB told the panel that it does not intend to introduce the bill in the current parliamentary session.

Currently, streaming platforms such as Netflix and JioHotstar, along with digital news publishers, are regulated by Part III of the IT Rules, 2021.

These rules have been challenged by multiple news organisations, arguing that Part III exceeds the scope of the IT Act.