[cr-india] I&B ministry's views on TRAI recommendations on FM radio

[Arti Jaiman]

This is enormously helpful, especially the list of "non-news" content that is permissible to broadcast.

Thanks

Arti

Arti Jaiman Project Manager: TRF Radio arti at trfindia.org www.trfindia.org www.jaiman.org www.pitara.com

--- On Fri, 28/11/08, sajan venniyoor <venniyoor at gmail.com> wrote:
From: sajan venniyoor <venniyoor at gmail.com>
Subject: [cr-india] I&B ministry's views on TRAI recommendations on FM radio
To: "CR India" <cr-india at sarai.net>
Date: Friday, 28 November, 2008, 3:11 PM

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has submitted its views on TRAI Recommendations on Phase III of FM licensing. The I&B ministry's views are available here: http://mib.nic.in/fm/ReferenceTRAI.pdf


Regarding the broadcast of News & Current affairs on FM radio, TRAI had recommended: "FM Radio broadcasters may be permitted to broadcast news taking content from AIR, Doordarshan (DD), authorized TV news channels, United News of India (UNI), Press Trust of India (PTI) and any other authorized news agency without any substantive change in the content. No other source of news is permitted at present." 


The I&B Ministry's response, which also defines what's non-news, is as follows;

"In the absence of a Regulatory Authority with a localized presence and any arrangement for monitoring the Private channels and the sensitivities involved, it is not possible to allow complete freedom to Broadcast News even though the content may be sourced from Authorised agencies as suggested. What is material is the way of presentation. The same event can be sensationalized or put in a sober manner taking care of the sentiments and sensitivities involved. Thus while the Government can allow the news bulletins of AIR or the Audio version of the news programmes of DD on such terms and conditions to be mutually agreed with Prasar Bharati, it is difficult at this stage to allow Private operators to Broadcast news on their own. 


However, Government recognizes the need to enable Radio broadcasters to bring in diversity in their content and to make the radio broadcast fulfill certain other needs of the listeners apart from remaining only as a means of entertainment. 


 Therefore broadcast pertaining to following categories can be treated as a non-news and current affairs broadcast: 

(i) Commentaries (including live broadcast) and information pertaining to sporting events, 

 (ii) Information pertaining to Traffic and Weather, 
 (iii) Information pertaining to and coverage of cultural events, festivals 

 (iv) Coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counseling 
 (v) Availabilty of employment opportunities 

 vi) Public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration 

(vii) Such other categories as may be specifically permitted by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from time to time. 

Opinion of the Government as to whether a particular broadcast falls in these exempt categories or not shall be final and binding."

 
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