Draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023: Legal Analysis And Industry Implications

On November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ("MIB") released the draft Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 (the "Bill") seeking comments from the general public and/or any stakeholders. The Bill aims at consolidating the present regulatory guidelines that apply to the broadcasting industry in India under one legal framework and replace the long-standing Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. The Bill however explicitly states that provisions of other acts such as the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, will not be barred by the Bill but in addition to the provisions of the Bill. Along with traditional broadcast networks that were governed under the Cable Television Act, the Bill also intends to bring under its purview Over-the-Top ("OTT") broadcasting service operators, digital media platforms and direct-to-home operators. The first half of this Article highlights some