The Centre or the Indian federal government is weighing a revamp of media regulation framework. According to a Storyboard18.com report today, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is pushing to remove broadcasting from the purview of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Incidentally, the broadcasting sector was brought under the TRAI in 2004 ahead of general elections by the then government, which was led by the BJP and AB Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

The reported cited unnamed senior government and industry officials saying the discussions have reached the highest levels, and a formal proposal has already been initiated by the ministry to make MIB the sole regulator for the broadcasting sector.

According to the Storyboard18 report, the proposal has begun gaining traction, especially as broadcasters have long argued that TRAI’s telecom-oriented regulatory approach has led to policy friction and operational disruptions.

Officials familiar with the matter indicated that if approved, the restructuring could be implemented by mid-2026 — a timeline that many in the industry believe will finally bring clarity after years of regulatory tug-of-war.

Tensions between the broadcasting sector and TRAI have escalated sharply in recent months, particularly after the regulator issued show-cause notices to more than 250 broadcasters over alleged violations of the 10+2 ad-cap rule.