I&B Ministry
Parliament panel turns up the heat; asks MIB to give timeline for broadcast bill
MUMBAI: In a rebuke, the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology has demanded that the ministry of information and broadcasting stop dithering and set a firm deadline for the long-delayed Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill, The Economic Times has reported.
The parliamentary panel, clearly miffed at the glacial pace of progress, wants the controversial legislation tabled in Parliament “at the earliest” – governmental code for “you’ve been dragging your feet for too long.”
The ministry’s second draft of the broadcast bill had a spectacularly brief public life last year – introduced with fanfare in July only to be hastily withdrawn in August after media stakeholders threw a collective wobbly over the secretive consultation process.
Industry insiders were particularly hot under the collar about vague terminology that could potentially hand sweeping powers to bureaucrats – a prospect about as popular in newsrooms as a pay cut.
In its response to the parliamentary committee’s prodding, the ministry promised a fresh draft would emerge after “detailed consultations.” It outlined a tortuous path ahead: consultations will be followed by a draft cabinet note, inter-ministerial ruminations, and eventual submission for the cabinet’s consideration.
The committee’s action taken report makes it crystal clear that lawmakers’ patience is wearing thinner than a politician’s promises during election season.
Having previously recommended that the government “expedite” formulation of the law while ensuring adequate consultations, the committee has now upped the ante by demanding a concrete timeline.
The original draft bill had been available for public commentary from 10 November to 9 December 2023, with the deadline later extended to 15 January 2024 – but more than a year later, a revised version remains elusive .
Industry observers note that the regulatory vacuum continues to leave India’s vibrant broadcasting sector in limbo, with outdated rules struggling to address the challenges posed by streaming platforms and social media content.
“At this rate, we’ll have holographic television before we get a broadcasting law,” remarked one cynical media veteran.
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.
