I&B Ministry
MIB’s Rathore signals liberalised regime for online media
MUMBAI: Hardly 24 hours into his job and minister of state (independent charge) in the Information and Broadcasting ministry (MIB) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is saying things that could make him the industry’s and more specifically the independent media crowd’s darling.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rathore emphasised that media has to opt for self-regulation and the government has no plans to regulate news portals and media websites.
He said most publications and TV channels are already self-regulating at various levels, first at the reporting journalist’s level and then at the editor’s desk. He added that this was a model that the government was more than happy to continue with and support wholeheartedly.
He clarified that media had misunderstood reports that it was setting up a committee to frame rules to regulate news portals and media news websites.
The prime minister is very clear that the media in our country is one of the very important pillars of democracy and they have to self-regulate, Rathore highlighted.
He said Prasar Bharati will be strengthened and high priority would be given to better and informative programmes.
He also pointed that “it is about a collective responsibility that media becomes the voice of the people, whether it is Prasar Bharati or private network or channel. We will work in this direction.”
Just yesterday, the baton was handed over from senior minister Smriti Irani to junior Rathore. He now has independent charge while she heads over to textiles. He has been in the ministry for the last four years as state minister and has finally got full command.
Also Read :
Smriti Irani moved out of MIB as Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore gets independent charge
MIB moves to regulate online media: various organisations join issue
Online media professionals write to Smriti Irani expressing regulation concerns
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.
