Individuals who routinely upload videos to social media, make podcasts or write about current affairs online could be classified as digital news broadcasters, according to the new draft of the broadcasting bill that the government shared with stakeholders.

The new version — HT has reviewed a copy — is the second draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024 that is meant to replace the cable television networks act of 1995, The Hindustan Times reported.

When the Bill was first released for public consultation in November 2023, it set out to combine all regulation for broadcasters under one law. From the beginning, it has been dogged by concerns around whether or not news content creators online, who are not associated with legacy media or registered digital media, can attract obligations imposed on streaming platforms (‘OTT broadcasting services’). The 2024 version proposes to bring them under the ambit of the law by introducing the new category called digital news broadcasters.

It attempts to address the ambiguity created by the first draft on this aspect by defining “professional” a person engaged in an occupation or vocation and “systematic activity” as “any structured or organised activity that involves an element of planning, method, continuity or persistence”.

The new version also defines “news and current affairs programmes” to include “texts” apart from the existing “audio, visual or audio-visual content, sign, signals, writing, images” which are “transmitted directly or using a broadcasting network”.

The definitions of ‘programme’ and ‘broadcasting’ have also been revised to include “texts” and “textual programmes”, respectively.