NBDA asks Centre to bring all TV channels under self regulation

MUMBAI: When it comes to regulating television, the biggest problem may be who’s not at the table. The News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) has told a Parliamentary panel that broadcasters have been seeking a wider self-regulatory net for nearly 16 years, arguing that channels can simply stay outside recognised bodies to avoid oversight.

The NBDA has urged the government to bring all television channels, irrespective of their membership of an industry association, under an approved self-regulatory mechanism, according to the Twenty-Eighth Action Taken Report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology on curbing fake news.

The association told the committee that several television channels choose not to join self-regulatory organisations once they realise that membership would bring them under regulatory oversight. As a result, NBDA said, it has little control over channels that remain outside its membership.

The numbers underline the gap. As of 30 November 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had permitted 919 television channels in the country. Of these, only 318 were members of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC), while 58 were affiliated with the News Broadcasters Federation’s Professional News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBF-PNBSA).

That left 543 channels, or more than half of the permitted television universe, outside the ambit of any recognised self-regulatory body.

The committee questioned the ministry on how these channels could be brought within a common framework. The ministry said it had already introduced a condition in television uplinking and downlinking permissions requiring broadcasters either to join a self-regulatory body registered with the ministry or establish and register their own.

The requirement was communicated to broadcasters through a 30 May 2023 letter.

However, the committee also noted that the NBDA itself had not applied for registration as a Level-II self-regulatory body under Rule 18(2) of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021.

The committee backed the broader principle that self-regulation can work only if the entire television broadcasting ecosystem is brought under its umbrella. It endorsed the ministry’s move to make membership of a recognised self-regulatory body, or the creation of one, a condition for satellite television permissions.

The ministry, in its action taken reply, pointed to Rule 17(1)(iv) of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021, which requires broadcasters to become members of a self-regulatory body and comply with its terms and conditions. It said the 30 May 2023 advisory had subsequently reminded all broadcasters to join a recognised body.

The committee’s concerns, however, extend beyond television. It has reiterated its recommendation that print, digital and electronic media organisations should have mandatory fact-checking mechanisms and internal ombudsmen to strengthen accountability and tackle misinformation.

For digital news publishers, the ministry highlighted the three-tier grievance redressal framework under Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Complaints are first handled by publishers at Level I, then by self-regulatory bodies at Level II, with ministry oversight at Level III.

Under Rule 11 of the IT Rules, digital news publishers are also required to establish a grievance redressal mechanism, appoint an India-based grievance officer, publicly display contact details, decide complaints within 15 days and become members of a recognised self-regulatory body.

On the proposal for internal ombudsmen in print media, the ministry said it had written to the Press Council of India on 31 July 2025, seeking suggestions on amendments to the Press Council Act, 1978 in light of changes in the media landscape.

The committee has now sought further details from the ministry on implementation of the 30 May 2023 advisory, examples showing how effectively the three-tier digital grievance mechanism has tackled fake news, and the status of the Press Council’s response on internal ombudsmen or grievance officers.

The larger message is straightforward: self-regulation may be the preferred route, but the committee wants fewer regulatory blind spots. With 543 television channels currently outside recognised self-regulatory bodies, the debate is increasingly about not just how news is regulated, but who gets to remain outside the frame.