'Broadcasting policy must exclude OTT, online gaming and music': Stakeholders to TRAI
Media and entertainment industry stakeholders have urged Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to restrict its recommendations on the National Broadcasting Policy (NBP) to the broadcasting sector and exclude non-broadcasting issues like OTT, online gaming, film, and music as they are beyond its remit.
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Stakeholders like the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) have urged the telecom regulator to limit its recommendations on the NBP to issues raised by the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) in its reference letter to Trai.
In its consultation paper 'Inputs for the Formulation of National Broadcasting Policy-2024' dated April 2, Trai has sought stakeholder feedback on regulatory aspects and policy measures that the government should adopt to boost over-the-top (OTT), film, music, and online gaming.
Last month, TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said at a public event that NBP recommendations will be issued by the end of May. «The regulator's role is to ensure equal opportunities for all players without any discrimination,» he had said at AVIA's Future of Video India conference in Mumbai.
«Trai has gone beyond its remit to include issues that are beyond its jurisdiction. The MIB reference to Trai, which has not been disclosed in the consultation paper, primarily deals with issues concerning the broadcasting sector,» said a senior executive at a leading media company.
