I&B Ministry
DPIIT issues clarification on 26% FDI in digital media
KOLKATA: While significant growth in media is coming from digital media consumption, the government amended the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy last year. As a part of the reform, it had announced an approval of 26 per cent FDI in digital media. However, there was a lack of clarity about the niggling details.
Mire than a year later, the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) has thrown some further light on it:
The rule would apply to :
· Entities uploading/ streaming news and current affairs on websites, apps, other platforms;
· News agencies which supply news to digital media entities and/or news aggregators;
· News aggregators which, using software / web applications, aggregate content from various sources in one location.
These news organisations would be required to align their FDI to 26 per cent level with governmental the approval, within a year from today. To comply with the FDI policy, the majority of directors on the board of the company and CEO should be Indian citizens.
"Security nod must for foreign personnel deployed for more than 60 days in India if security nod for any foreign personnel gets denied, the employee has to resign/employment terminated," DPIIT said.
In this context, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has announced that it will consider in the near future to extend the following benefits, presently available to traditional media (print and TV), to such entities also:
· PIB accreditation for its reporters, cameramen, videographers enabling them with better first-hand information and access including participation in official press conference and such other interactions.
· Persons with PIB accreditation can also avail CGHS benefits and concessional rail fare as per the extant procedure.
· Eligibility for digital advertisements through Bureau of Outreach and Communication.
Moreover, MIB has suggested forming a similar self-regulating body in digital media like print and electronic media.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
