Centre Weighs Major Overhaul to Move Broadcasting Out of TRAI’s Control by 2026
The Centre is considering a sweeping overhaul of India’s media regulatory architecture, with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) pushing to remove broadcasting from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) jurisdiction, senior government and industry officials confirmed.
A formal proposal has been initiated by the ministry and is now under high-level review, reports Storyboard18. If approved, MIB would become the sole regulator for the broadcasting sector — a long-standing demand from broadcasters who say TRAI’s telecom-centric approach has led to policy friction and operational uncertainty. The restructuring could be implemented by mid-2026, officials indicated.
Broadcasters have accused TRAI of creating “regulatory anomalies” through rules they say do not reflect the specific needs of the broadcasting ecosystem. Tensions escalated recently after TRAI issued show-cause notices to over 250 broadcasters for alleged violations of the 10+2 advertising cap, despite the matter being stayed by the Delhi High Court. “The recent notices were the last straw,” said a senior industry representative.
Another major point of contention is TRAI’s proposal to alter broadcasters’ audit rights over distribution platform operators and multi-system operators. Industry groups argue the changes could delay critical audits by up to 20 months, weakening revenue reconciliation.
TRAI has also floated a unified legal framework for telecom and broadcasting to address market convergence, but key stakeholders — including IBDF and IAMAI — have strongly opposed the idea, warning that merging carriage and content regulation would blur boundaries and dilute established oversight mechanisms.
With MIB now formally recommending the removal of broadcasting from TRAI’s ambit, the proposal will move into inter-ministerial consultations before Cabinet review. If cleared, it would mark the most significant regulatory shift in India’s media landscape in two decades.
