IBDF urges parliamentary committee meeting on communications and IT

The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) has requested for a meeting with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on communications and IT. This comes in the wake of the apex body of TV broadcasters being excluded from the deliberations that formed the basis of the report, ‘Regulation of Cable Television in India’.

In a letter that was released on February 13, the IBDF highlighted that it would make a detailed representation to the parliamentary committee which was headed by Prataprao Jadhav, member of parliament, Shiv Sena.

The IBDF also raised the fact that the report contained several inaccuracies followed by data misrepresentations and crucial information being omitted.

The IT committee extended an invitation only to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) to input for the report that was released.

On February 9, The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology (SCCIT) asked the central government to initiate a comprehensive Act for regulating the industry and creating a level playing field for all broadcasting services, as per reports.

The panel made the recommendations while expressing concerns over a continuing decline in cable TV subscribers. In its 56th report on ‘Regulation of Cable Television in India’, submitted in both Houses of the Parliament, the standing committee told the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) that the Cable TV industry needs to be regulated through a comprehensive Act, the reports further revealed.

TRAI and MIB regulate TV channel pricing and content. IBDF comprises 56 broadcast members that represent around 450 channels. And, AIDCF represented the Cable TV companies. StoryBoard18