Finally Some Clarity On Policy Regarding Broadcast Services Via New Media?

Some developments regarding policy on IPTV, Mobile TV and DTH: ET reports that following the battle between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) and Ministry of Communications and IT over who gets to regulate new media, the two have reached an agreement:

IPTV: the I&B Ministry will monitor content, while the Ministry of Communications and IT will license and regulate. IPTV can only be used to provide content channels registered with the I&B ministry, while Internet content via IPTV will be governed by the IT act.

Mobile TV: Will be regulated by the I&B ministry if the services are broadcast using terrestrial/broadcast systems, and by the Ministry of Communications and IT if via Telecom Networks.

DTH: the content will be under the I&B ministry, while all other issues will be regulated by the Ministry of Communications and IT.

The TRAI act will be amended so that broadcasting services on telecom networks are governed by the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill, and broadcast related issues that are currently the mandate of by the TRAI will be attended to by the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI). I don’t quite understand the disparity in case of Mobile TV: one ministry should take on the mandate of content and the other of licensing and regulation. However, in a converged world, there needs to be a converged ministry. Not that that’s going to happen, though.

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