The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has said that a comprehensive policy for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector is a work in progress as it involves bringing together diverse industries like TV, digital, and print in one place. The ministry believes that each of these industries has different challenges, therefore, it is not an easy task to come up with a common policy for the M&E sector.
"M&E policy is a work in progress. The M&E industry is divided into two to three parts. One is TV broadcasting then FM radio broadcasting is separate then digital is again separate then media is again separate. Combining all of that into one is a work in progress because there are lots of actors and issues involved and the challenges faced by each sector are different. Print media is totally different from other mediums. Digital has its own challenges and we want to promote digital in a different way," MIB Secretary Apurva Chandra said in response to a question by e4m at an industry event last week.
An M&E policy has been on the MIB's agenda for the last four years. In fact, MIB Joint Secretary Vikram Sahay had spoken about an M&E policy at the 7th edition of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Big Picture Summit in December 2018. Sahay had stated that the ministry is working on a new policy framework in the changing media landscape.
"The MIB is working on a new policy framework in the changing M&E landscape which will be announced shortly," Sahay had said. Acknowledging that the investments in the M&E sector are driven by changes in technology, he stated that the government has to work in tandem with the industry and a new M&E policy is on the anvil.
Speaking about the steps being taken by the MIB to improve the ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector, Chandra said that the ministry has launched the Broadcast Seva portal which is a single gateway for seeking all permissions related to Community Radio Stations (CRS), TV, radio, DTH, and cable TV.
He also said that the Broadcast Seva portal will be connected with portals of other departments/ministries like the Department of Telecom (DoT), Department of Space (DoS), and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) since broadcasting companies also require permissions from them for procuring satellite capacity and TV channel licences. The portal is also integrated with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) which allows the MIB to get details like Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), directors of the company, and balance sheets.
"In the broadcasting sector, we launched our Broadcast Seva portal just three to four months back, and we are receiving applications for all permissions whether it is CRS, FM, DTH, or TV channels. All that is being received through the Broadcast Seva portal. Now, we are linking the Broadcast Seva portal to the portals of other ministries wherever cross permissions are required, that is DoT, DoS, and MHA for security clearance. We are also linking it to the MCA portal for getting their networth and other things," Chandra stated.
Responding to a query about the work being done by the government to prevent content piracy, the MIB secretary said that the government is open to collaborating with industry bodies on combating piracy. He also pointed out that the Cinematograph Act is being amended to make piracy a grave offence. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2021 prescribes 3 to 6 months imprisonment besides and/or a fine between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh for copyright infringement.
"On content piracy, we are open to working with all industry bodies and we offer whatever help is required to them, we can take up their causes. An amendment is also envisaged in the Cinematograph Act where a particular section about piracy is being introduced in Cinematograph Act dealing with piracy. We have been working with industry bodies. Content piracy as such is dealt with in the Copyright Act. Whether a separate act is required is again a moot question," Chandra noted.
Last year, Chandra had said during an industry event that the MIB has also given in-principle approval to the CII to set up an industry body to tackle piracy. "CII will formulate an industry body which will take action against copyright violations whether it is films or music or any other form of entertainment. We have agreed to support this initiative and help them in seeking relief with the available legal remedies," he had said.