M&E Stakeholders Urge TRAI To Limit National Broadcast Policy To Broadcasting Sector

As the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) approaches the finalisation of the National Broadcast Policy (NBP) by the end of May, stakeholders from the media and entertainment industry are calling for a clear demarcation in the policy's scope. They urge TRAI to limit its recommendations to the broadcasting sector, excluding areas such as OTT, online gaming, film and music which they argue fall outside TRAI's jurisdiction.

The proposed NBP has been a topic of intense debate among industry stakeholders. While the policy primarily aims to foster growth within the broadcasting sector, concerns have been raised about several recommendations, including those related to convergence, piracy and the inclusion of OTT services.

At a recent open house, Debashish Bhattacharya from the Broadband India Forum voiced his support for a broadcasting policy that focuses strictly on the broadcasting sector, excluding OTT services. "The OTT services are not part of the broadcasting ecosystem as they are functionally distinct from television and radio broadcasting, which involves a combination of carriage and content," he stated. Bhattacharya emphasised the fundamental difference between push-based media like television, where content is scheduled by broadcasters, and pull-based media like OTT, where consumers choose the content and timing.

In April, TRAI solicited comments from stakeholders through a consultation paper on its website, seeking inputs for the formulation of NBP 2024. This initiative aims to position India as a global content hub.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had requested TRAI’s inputs for the NBP last July. TRAI responded by issuing a pre-consultation paper in September to identify key issues. Following this, TRAI reviewed written submissions, held meetings and analysed various media and industry reports, public documents, international practices and government initiatives before releasing the consultation paper.