Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said the proposed Broadcasting Services Bill will require extensive consultations and the government was 'very open-minded' to suggestions from all stakeholders in this regard.
The intent is to encourage content creator economy and not discourage it, the minister asserted.
A revised draft of the Bill, circulated selectively by the government, had drawn widespread criticism, particularly from the online content creators' community which found certain provisions as 'draconian'.
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
The Bill was first put in the public domain in November last year and consultations were on with various stakeholders in this regard.
"We are very flexible, we are very open-minded, We want this entire new medium to flourish. We will have very extensive consultations then look at the form and content of the bill," Vaishnaw told reporters here.
He said over the past few years, a new content creator economy has emerged across the country and the government was encouraging this growing segment.
"Our intent is not to discourage it. Our intent is to encourage it. Our intent is that this is giving more opportunities to express, share and create new intellectual property," the minister said.
The selective circulation of the Bill drew criticism from media bodies such as DigiPub and the Editors Guild of India which claimed that digital media organisations and civil society associations were not consulted on the move.
The government said in response that multiple recommendations, comments and suggestions were received including from various Associations.
"In the case of the Broadcasting Services Bill, our thought process is we must encourage new technology, we must encourage new forms of creating content. We must encourage new mediums of sharing content, that will require a huge amount of consultation," Vaishnaw said.
A version of the draft bill sought to club online content creators with OTT and digital news broadcasters, bringing them under the ambit of the ministry's Content and Advertisement Code.
The provisions would have made it mandatory for individual online content creators to appoint a grievance redressal officer and a content evaluation committee once they crossed a certain number of subscribers.
Facing criticism over the bill, the Information And Broadcasting ministry had said last week that a fresh draft of the bill would be published after detailed consultation.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.