Govt working on new broadcast policy to regulate OTTs

The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, L Murugan said that after receiving the suggestions, inputs from the industry and public, the government will introduce the policy to regulate OTTs in the Parliament.

By  Storyboard18| Oct 24, 2024 10:05 AM
Fears of censorship creep as centre ban OTT platforms over obscene content.

Following the complaints with respect to over-the-top (OTT) platforms not adhering to self-regulatory practices, the Union government is now working on formulating a new broadcast policy, said the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, L Murugan, on October 23.

To regulate the OTT content, the government is formulating a new Broadcast policy that is currently in the public domain to elicit views from the public and other stakeholders, according to a PTI report.

Speaking at an event in Chennai, the Minister said the Centre introduced self-regulation practices like classifying a movie based on the age of the viewership and the content it provided.

"Normally, OTTs broadcast disclaimer: this is meant for 18-year-olds. It contains violence. So A certification will be provided, this movie can be watched with Parental Guidance, these kinds of classifications are there. But, we received complaints from the public and industry that OTT platforms were not adhering to the (self-regulatory) practice," he said.

It was also mentioned that the government is conducting detailed conversations with various stakeholders to allow private FM radio channels to broadcast news bulletins in addition to the service rendered by All India Radio.

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First Published onOct 24, 2024 9:31 AM

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