Govt Withdraws Draft Of Controversial Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024: Report

New Delhi, August 12: The ministry of information and broadcasting on Monday has withdrawn the latest draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024. The Bill had raised concerns among online content creators as it proposed to club them with OTT or digital news broadcasters.

The Bill was released for consultations in November last year and a fresh draft was circulated among select stakeholders for their views.

An official said that the government may be open to reviewing certain clauses of the Bill as it had drawn sharp reactions from a section of media representatives.

Bill Had Come Under Attack From Congress, Opposition

The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill had come under severe attack from the Congress and the Opposition.

"The Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill is a direct threat to our freedom of speech and independent media," Congress leader and member of CWC, Pawan Khera had posted on X.

"Content creators who monetize their platforms face the same stringent regulations as traditional broadcasters. This discourages new entrants and harms the economic viability of independent creators, this is exactly how the government finished the crypto market in India," the Congress leader had said in his criticism of the Bill.