Two months after the government released the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 for public consultation, journalists body Network of Women in Media, India has submitted that the proposed bill “will irreparably damage the free press, free speech and creative freedom in India”.
The bill seeks to replace the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 to provide a comprehensive set of norms for all broadcasting content, from television to streaming platforms. In its detailed submission to the information and broadcasting ministry, NWMI said the bill gives “inordinate powers” to the government to “control the country’s entertainment and news media”.
