Govt not in favour of controlling media content: Tewari

Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari has assured that the government is not in favour of regulating media content but a regulatory body is needed on techno-commercial grounds. 

Addressing the Fourth CEOs roundtable on broadcast in New Delhi, he said regulation of content in the media space will not come from the executive but through the judicial process. 

On TRPs, the minister said the government has been insisting on creation of a body by the industry at the earliest. He said the government is 'more than prepared' if a body is created which will analyse and process data before placing it in the public domain without government intervention in the process. 

The minister said the broadcast industry will expand database through digitisation which will increase revenue stream which is skewed. 

Tewari also said that there has to be a balance between the evolution of technology and the regulatory architecture. In view of the changes taking place in the broadcasting space, a discussion was necessary within the industry regarding the need of a regulator on techno-commercial grounds. 

Referring to the digitisation mechanism, the minister said that all stakeholders need to ensure that they work together for creating an enabling environment. This was critical in view of the consumer being the biggest stakeholder and end-beneficiary. 

The government was aware of the needs of the consumer and desired that the whole process of implementation ought to be done causing the least pain to the biggest beneficiary - the consumer, he said. 

Digitisation as a process had to be viewed as a game changer as far as the media landscape in this country was concerned as benefits would accrue to all the stakeholders involved and each played a vital role in the growth of the industry.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2225-govt-not-in-favour-of-controlling-media-content-tewari.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/news/national-news/item/2225-govt-not-in-favour-of-controlling-media-content-tewari.html