Govt Planning Reforms For Print, TV Media Amid Rapid Digitisation: Union Minister Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. (PTI file photo)

The government has planned a series of initiatives to protect the conventional media from the disruptions expected due to rapid digitisation, said Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday.

Vaishnaw said the government plans to remove the regulatory overhang in the radio industry and Television Rating Point (TRP) reforms. “We are working on multiple levels. The transition from conventional to new forms of media has to be handled carefully,” he told reporters.

“It affects people’s livelihoods and the incomes of traditional news houses, whether TV, radio, or print. For example, in the radio industry, there is a significant regulatory burden. Today, it has shrunk to almost a negligible level. The government is working to remove regulatory barriers wherever they exist,” Vaishnaw was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

He further informed that the ministry is looking into ways to enhance the television rating system to ensure that TV channels receive fair revenue from government advertisements. “TRP guidelines are being formulated. The first round of consultation is complete, feedback has been received, and a second consultation paper will be published soon.”

Additionally, the government is also considering an increase in the advertisement rates for print and television media, along with the integration of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI), Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), and Press Information Bureau (PIB) to improve coordination across media outreach and regulatory functions, said Vaishnaw.

The minister said the PIB has intensified its outreach efforts, issuing backgrounders and research-based documents on key topics regularly. A chatbot for fact-checking is being developed for verifying the authenticity of videos and online content.

The minister said these initiatives are part of a broader strategy to help traditional media adapt to the rapidly changing information landscape, aiming to maintain a balance between innovation and sustainability across the country’s media sector.

(with inputs from PTI)