BROADCASTERS’ ASSOCIATION SEEKS EXEMPTION FROM NEW IT RULES

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) Thursday urged the government to “exempt and exclude” the traditional television news media and its extended presence on the digital news platforms from the ambit of the IT Rules 2021, saying it is already “sufficiently regulated” by various statutes, laws, guidelines, codes and regulations.

“The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000) had not contemplated the regulation of digital news media. Despite this, the IT Rules, 2021 seek to inter alia include traditional news media, ie, electronic television news media having a digital news feed and presence on other digital media platforms, within its purview. This appears to be ultra vires the IT Act, 2000,” the NBA said, raising its concerns in a letter to Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar.

The NBA represents several leading national and regional private television news and current affairs broadcasters which run news channels in Hindi, English and regional languages. “In any event, while the NBA appreciates the need for regulations, the traditional news media need not be subjected to and/ or covered under the scope of the IT Rules 2021, since it is already sufficiently regulated by various statutes, laws, guidelines and codes, regulations, and judgements,” it said.

The NBA members are also required to adhere to the code of ethics and broadcasting standards and the National Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) regulations and the guidelines, it added. The NBSA is an independent self-regulatory mechanism that is headed by an eminent jurist along with four independent members from the civil society, being persons with proven eminence in various fields of activity and four editors of the members of NBA. NEW DELHI: