By IANS
New Delhi : With the government accepting the demand of broadcasters and stakeholders for more debate on the proposed Broadcast Bill at a meeting here Friday night, it is almost certain that the controversial bill will not be tabled during the monsoon session of parliament that ends Sep 14.
The bill is nowhere near ready as the ministry plans to take into consideration the points raised by the stakeholders and the minister plans to hold a meeting with various political parties before taking any decision on the matter, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
At Friday night’s meeting, Dasmunsi reportedly indicated that the draft content code for news and current affairs that forms a part of the proposed bill would be shelved in favour of a self-regulatory code by the broadcasters.
During the meeting, broadcasters reportedly made a strong case for a 12-month moratorium on the bill.
“The minister was positive towards our suggestions. The minister said he had real and fruitful communication with the stakeholders and would consider all their suggestions,” said Pankaj Pachauri, managing editor, NDTV India.
“There will be some changes. The bill could be presented much before the 12-month moratorium the broadcasters have asked for,” he said.
The meeting between the broadcasters and the government came in the wake of the recent fake sting operation by Live India TV that purported to portray the involvement of a schoolteacher in a prostitution racket. This has raised fresh questions about the credibility of sting operations and strengthened the case of the government, which is pushing for content regulation.