As he completes one year in office as the Minister for Information & Broadcasting,Manish Tewari addresses all issues currently plaguing the industry – from Phase III digitisation to the need for monitoring media
By Abid Hasan
Almost a year ago, when he took on the role of heading the country’s Information and Broadcast (I&B) Ministry, Manish Tewari was immediately given his first task: roll out the first phase of digitization “I didn’t even know the ‘D’ of digitisation then,” he admits honestly. This month, on October 29, the lawyer-turned-politician completes one year in office. So far, he’s managed to introduce not one but two digitization phases, (and he’s hoping to bring out the third, which will be countrywide), and perfect his rhetoric on the state of affairs with Print, Broadcast, Radio and of course, Digital media.
Those who’ve tracked his career path knows that he’s not the one to beat around the bush or mince his words. Being Congress’s spokesperson for years, mastering the skill of answering a barrage of tough questions, as well as managing the country’s complex and sometimes unruly media and entertainment landscape, Mr Tewari’s role might arguably be the most daunting and challenging. While being truly media-savvy might come naturally to him, he doesn’t agree that his role involves “micromanaging” the media. “I don’t feel that the media should either be managed or can be managed,” he says matter-of-factly. “It’s more a function if trying to put your point of view into the public space and seeing how best people in different genres of the media are able to then carry it, without editorialising it or anchoring it, in a manner that it totally loses context.”
In an exclusive interview with IMPACT, the no-nonsense Minister addresses, in the same straightforward and unflinching demeanour that he pulls off on screen, his hopes for a smooth Phase III digitisation along with the Ministry’s plans for fixing the television audience measurement system, and other pressing issues across various media.
Q&A: ‘There is a misconception that government regulates content. It doesn’t.’
Ensuring smooth Phase III digitization
While Phases I and II of digitization covered major metros and towns, Phase III, under Mr Tewari’s watch, is all set to cover the entire country, despite having yet to figure out solutions to challenges including lack of infrastructure. “Also various stakeholders have publicly praised the success of digitisation, but privately they come and tell me that they rarely have gotten what they think are ‘the fruits of digitisation’,” reveals the Minister. So without putting Phase III on hold, he plans to conduct an audit of the previous two phases “to see the satisfaction quotient of broadcasters, MSOs (multiplesystem operators), LCOs (local cable operators) and most importantly the consumer for whom digitization was intended.”
“We need to see the lessons we have learnt, where we have failed, where we need to improve and how we can do better. Last month, we had a discussion on this and requested the ministry to see that this audit is carried out at the earliest. We have empirical evidence on the yield of digitisation for various stakeholders.”
Fixing the television ratings system
According to Mr Tewari, indices for television audience measurement need to be more transparent, clearer and broadbased. But he also believes that the government and the I&B Ministry can fix this, with the support of the advertisers themselves. And he assures that the government is committed to establishing an open system of ratings and measurement, which rarely reflects the diversity of India.
“Advertising is a huge 600-pound gorilla whose strength is being measured by a completely skewed, broken measuring system that needs to be fixed,” he adds. “Therefore, if advertisers need to really understand India’s potential, at least in the broadcasting context, the television audience measurement index has to change. Tier III and IV cities need to come in, rural India needs to be factored in and then you will have a system whereby any advertiser will truly know preferences of 120 crore people, who lives in 6 lakh 31 thousand villages, urban and rural areas.”
Mr Tewari also adds that the Ministry is attempting to fix the TRAI recommendations, which have been very clearly studied by the IMC, and they have come to certain conclusions, which are being processed.
Biggest achievements
A lot has happened since the Congress spokesperson took on the role as the I&B Minister; for instance, apart from his relentless efforts to ensure countrywide digitisation and he also launched the Bharat Nirman portal, a first-ever interactive digital platform that has various schemes and programmes of the Bharat Nirman campaign. To him, however, his biggest achievement has been staying the course and maintaining consistency of policy. “We have not taken any drastic U-turns and most importantly we have tried to implement the statutory limit in various fields,” he adds, “so that the entire environment in the media industry becomes rule-based and absolutely clear. Therefore everybody knows if you are ‘playing fields’, you respect the rule so that you are really free to do what you want.”
What’s next in the Minister’s six-month agenda
Prioritise on press legislation, Books act and Cinematographic act.
“I have tried to focus myself on rule-based regime in every media genre where it’s clear to everybody, both Indian and foreign, about what our landscape really is. I believe that it is not the business of the government to be either in the media business or in the business of making films… That said, it possibly should have the ability to disseminate information in the public space, across Print, Broadcast and new-age media.”
Restructuring and shaping government communications.
“The government is trying to make space for 21st century information, but with 19th century structures. This needs a complete and drastic overhaul. If I had more time, I would ideally like to apply myself to reimaging the whole universe of the government’s strategic communication.”
On having a self-regulating body for media
“I am entirely of the view that media freedoms are fragile and they need to be guarded seriously; therefore there is always a strong case for a robust self regulatory institution in the media space. To make self-regulation far more efficacious and credible, there has to be mandatory inclusion of all stakeholders who subscribe to a common body and common set of rules.”
On whether social media needs to be regularized and monitored
“Global rules of engagement in the new media space need to emerge. The treaty, taking place under the aegis of United Nations, need to be expedited because Internet is a global common whose freedom needs to be safeguarded. The Chinese have been successful in vulcanising the net, which is intensely
regulated by the police, and also almost creating an intranet. So those who want to maintain openness and the transparency of the web should come together to ensure that these global rules of engagement emerge as quickly as possible.”
On the current status of BARC
“I have heard of some incremental progress. We will put in place a framework of rules and regulations, which everybody will have to adhere to. They will prescribe minimum criteria of the number of boxes required, the geographical spread and other benchmarks. Anybody who follows these benchmarks is free to operate and compete in the market space.”
On whether the Radio Phase III auction will happen this month
“Once we have the names of independent external monitors in place, and establish whether they will be on the IMC committee or exercising concurrent oversight and the functioning of the IMC, then it’s all systems go.”
On how a politician from Gujarat criticised how I&B ministry celebrated 100 years of cinema
“It’s ironic; I heard that comment on television. The first thought that crossed my mind was that there was another gentleman, in his early 30s, who thought he will use the Olympics to brand himself. There’s a great hassle when politicians want to use each and every creative instrument for branding, because that is a sign of unadulterated fascism.”
Feedback: abid.hasan@exchange4media.com
