TRAI proposes media ownership safeguards to ensure news plurality

It matters to citizens as it proposes regulatory safeguards to ensure plurality of news and views, arguing that media ownership structures impact the diversity and objectivity of information available to the public.

Who it concerns: The document concerns the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), media entities (including broadcasters, TV distributors, print, and radio owners), and the general public as consumers of media.

What the document says

• TRAI issued recommendations on issues relating to media ownership, specifically addressing cross-media ownership and vertical integration.
• The recommendations were made in response to a reference from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) dated May 16, 2012, requesting a review of vertical integration and cross-media holdings.
• TRAI stated that the objective is to put in place ex-ante safeguards to ensure citizens have access to objective, unbiased, and diverse views, rather than to curb media rights.
• TRAI distinguished its role from the Competition Commission of India (CCI), asserting that media requires separate consideration for plurality of ideas rather than standard competition law principles.
• The document notes that while India has many media outlets, market dominance by a few players (e.g., top three dailies in Delhi holding 70% readership) limits actual plurality.
• TRAI noted that only 20% of Indians have internet access and 5% have broadband, meaning the majority still rely on television and print for news.

Also in the document

• TRAI received comments from 33 stakeholders and counter-comments from 6 stakeholders during the consultation process.
• Five Open House Discussions were held in Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, and Indore.
• TRAI cited that in Delhi, the top three newspaper players possess 70% of the readership, with the remaining 13 players sharing the rest.
• The document references a previous TRAI recommendation from February 25, 2009, which suggested no restrictions on cross-control between telecom and media sectors at that time, subject to review after two years.