I&B Ministry
MIB secy Amit Khare says national broadcast policy in the works
MUMBAI: MIB Secretary Amit Khare did some plain talking here while addressing industry and said bowing to needs of the stakeholders, a national broadcast policy is in the offing.
“We have thought of having a national broadcast policy. The draft is being prepared and we are working with FICCI and other stakeholders so that Indians can have that national broadcast policy,” Khare said at a session on the opening day of the 20th edition of FICCI Frames.
The government official did not reveal much details, but said the policy could be in place within a few years.
He also spoke of a strategic paper that is being prepared for the film and entertainment industry which will focus on issues like what incentives should be given by the central or the state government and the type of regulatory changes which are required for improving the screen density.
“The way we develop, particularly in India or in other Commonwealth countries, it was platform-wise. We have different regulations for print, for online, for films and for broadcasts. But now with the technological change and the convergence that has taken place, there is a need to rethink, there is a need to beat this challenge and also which is a great opportunity in terms of the content which is viewed by the customer,” he commented while talking about the importance of change in technology for the sector.
The secretary also spoke about the importance of the conversations that will take place during the FICCI Frames. According to him, it will be very helpful for the government to know the views of the private sector, the stakeholders and then taking a considerate view about regulations or the type of policies that the authority wishes to have for this sector in 2025 or 2030.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
