I&B Ministry
FM radio ops form panel on music rights, infra issues
NEW DELHI: The FM radio operators of Indian today formed a nine-member committee to look in to various issues related to infrastructure, music royalty and interacting with various organizations like the Broadcast Engineering Society India Ltd and pubcaster Prasar Bharati, which is slated to rent out some of its transmissions towers.
According to a statement from the Association of Radio Operators of India (AROI), the panel’s mandate is to try negotiating better deals with infrastructure providers and organization that deal in music copyright issues.
The music royalty issue is a contentious matter with AROI alleging that the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and another music rights organization have made irrational demands for music rights overlooking the fact that a uniform rights fee could not be applied on small and big radio operators alike.
PPL is the copyright society in respect of sound recordings and is registered with the government. It is mainly engaged in administering the broadcasting / telecasting and public performance rights on behalf of over 139 music companies that are its members.
The AROI panel includes BAG Infotainment’s Radio Masti CEO Rajiv Mishra, Radio Mirchi CEO Prashant Panday, Radio Today chief Anil Mehra, Radio City CEO Apoorva Purohit, Syntech Informatics CEO Ashok Narayan, ABP radio CEO Sanjay Prasad and Mathrubhumi Radio chief executive George Sebastian.
Two positions have been kept vacant for representatives from the Anil
Ambani-controlled Adlabs Radio and Sun TV.
I&B Ministry
MeitY proposes tighter rules for digital platforms and intermediaries
Fresh amendments aim to formalise government directions and expand content oversight.
MUMBAI: When the rulebook gets an upgrade, even the internet might need to sit up and pay attention because India’s digital regulators are clearly not scrolling idly. India’s technology regulators have proposed a fresh set of amendments to the country’s digital media and intermediary liability framework, seeking to expand oversight of online content and formalise the government’s authority to issue binding directions to platforms.
In a notice issued on 30 March, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) invited public comments on changes to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The revisions are described as “clarificatory and procedural” but are clearly aimed at strengthening compliance and enforcement.
At the heart of the proposal is a significant shift in how intermediaries, including social media platforms, respond to government advisories. A newly inserted provision would make compliance with official “clarifications, advisories, directions, standard operating procedures and guidelines” a formal part of the due diligence obligations required for platforms to retain legal immunity under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. This change effectively elevates government communications from guidance to enforceable obligations, tightening the regulatory loop between the state and digital platforms.
The amendments also expand the scope of content oversight under Part III of the rules, which governs digital media ethics. The proposed revisions clarify that the code will apply not only to publishers but also to intermediaries hosting news and current affairs content uploaded by users. This could bring user-generated news content more directly within the ambit of regulatory scrutiny, a move likely to raise questions about platform liability and editorial responsibility.
Further, the government has proposed broadening the mandate of the Inter-Departmental Committee, a key oversight body. The committee would no longer be limited to adjudicating complaints but could also take up matters referred directly by the ministry. This shift signals a more proactive regulatory posture, allowing authorities to initiate reviews without waiting for formal grievances.
The draft builds on an already expansive framework. The existing IT Rules impose detailed due diligence requirements on intermediaries, including obligations to remove unlawful content within tight timelines, maintain grievance redressal systems, and ensure traceability in certain cases. Recent amendments have also introduced provisions addressing synthetically generated content, requiring platforms to label such material and deploy technical measures to prevent misuse.
Officials framed the latest proposals as necessary to ensure an “Open, Safe, Trusted and Accountable Internet,” while improving “legal certainty” and the enforceability of regulatory directions.
Stakeholders have been invited to submit feedback by 14 April, setting the stage for what could become another consequential evolution in India’s digital governance regime.
In the fast-moving world of online content, these tweaks suggest the government is keen to keep the guardrails firmly in place – because when the internet grows wilder, even regulators feel the need to hit refresh on the rulebook.
