TRAI seeks inputs to make India a global content hub: National Broadcasting Policy 2024 in the works

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today released a Consultation Paper on 'Inputs for formulation of National Broadcasting Policy-2024’.The consultation paper has been prepared for seeking comments from stakeholders.

The last day for submission of written comments on the issues raised in the consultation is April 30, 2024. There will be no counter comments for this consultation paper.

“This consultation paper aims to enable formulation of a national policy that would unleash the scope and reach of the broadcasting sector to become a torch bearer of ‘Create in India’ and ‘Brand India’. The consultation intends to target broad roadmap for next 10 years with special focus on next 5 years,” said the consultation paper.

The consultation paper highlights issues prevalent in the broadcasting sector with an objective of making India a 'Global Content Hub'. It also raises questions on the policy and regulatory measures and the strategies to be adopted for increasing the contribution to the economy through universal reach, fostering innovation with focus on R&D, facilitating job creation, skill development and start-up promotion.

The paper also discusses on strengthening the public service broadcasting, issues on various segments of media and entertainment sector, combatting piracy and ensuring content security, robust audience measurement system, terrestrial broadcasting and socio-environmental responsibilities.

Overall, the consultation paper seeks to come out with inputs for a robust policy roadmap in the broadcasting sector for achieving the following -

i. Attracting Investment by ensuring business continuity, policy and regulatory certainty, providing ease of doing business and expanding consumer base.

ii. Fostering Innovation through enabling policies, focus on research and development (R&D) by enhancing expenditure to innovate, encouraging local manufacturing, following technology neutral approach and adopting international best practices.

iii. Facilitating Job Creation and Nurturing Skill Development by achieving quality national and regional content production, post-production processing and by funding and facilitating start-ups and developing institutional mechanisms to nurture skill development.

iv. Strengthening the Public Service Broadcasting by supporting modernised infrastructure development, enhancing R&D capabilities for quality content production and dissemination and promotion of Indian content through Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) globally and through digital media platforms.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) vide its letter dated July 13 2023, informed that MIB is in the process of formulating a National Broadcasting Policy. Accordingly, as the first step, TRAI had floated a pre-consultation paper on 21st September 2023, to highlight the issues which are required to be considered for the formulation of ‘National Broadcasting Policy’. Written comments on the pre-consultation paper were invited from the stakeholders by October 10 2023, which was further extended up to November7 2023, on the request of the stakeholders. TRAI received 28 comments from various associations, companies, service providers, individuals and consumer advocacy groups.