The concentration of media ownership poses a potential threat to democracy and telecom and broadcast regulator TRAI is working on recommendations to handle issues related to it, a top official of the regulatory body said on Wednesday, adding that a consultation paper on OTT services too is in the works.

While speaking at CII Big Picture Summit on Wednesday, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman P D Vaghela said that experts at the regulatory body are studying issues related to over-the-top services and they will aim to come out with a light touch framework for the same that irons out inconsistencies created by technological disruption.

”It is antithetical to the phenomenon of concentration of media ownership. The concentration of media ownership has been identified with a number of problems. Undoubtedly, the most significant of these is the threat it poses to freedom of expression and democracy. Looking at the importance of the issue, we are in the process of framing the recommendations on the issues relating to media ownership,” Vaghela said, according to a news report by PTI from New Delhi.

In April 2022, TRAI had floated a consultation paper on the need for monitoring cross-media ownership and control, mechanism and related issues in the wake of drastic changes in the sector with the advent of digital technology.

The regulator issued a set of recommendations on media ownership in 2014 but these have not been accepted by the government yet.

In a bid to check the influence on news and views, TRAI in 2014 suggested barring political parties from entering into the broadcasting space, while it recommended several restrictions on the corporate houses in this regard, the PTI report added.

About corporate ownership, the regulator had said it has to be seen how much independence is enjoyed by the editorial team in a media house owned by them.

Talking about work on technological convergence and framework for OTTs, Vaghela said technological disruptions will take place and traditional players need to adopt new technologies for sustainability.

”Recently we have received references from the government for OTT-based services and on matters arising due to convergence. Our experts are studying these issues with a view to creating a level playing field, among various service provisioning mechanisms. Our objective will be to introduce a light touch framework that irons out the inconsistencies created by technological disruptions.

“We cannot have a regulatory imbalance between conventional technologies of yesteryears and new technologies,” Vaghela said.

He added that the framework will not stifle innovation and competition.

”Technical disruption is (a) reality. The government may interfere for a short period and try to create a level field,” the chief regulator stressed.

He cited an example of the vanishing of 2G and 3G technology with 4G technology, which is expected to be overtaken by 5G technology.

Vaghela said that the government will intervene for the short term but it will come out with policies that are flexible in nature that allows new players to come in.

Consultation Paper on OTT Soon: Meanwhile, the regulator will issue a public consultation paper to discuss regulations for internet-based calling, messaging and entertainment apps in December, a senior TRAI official told PTI on Wednesday.

The Department of Telecommunications has sought recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to set up a legal framework for the over-the-top (OTT) apps that provide calling and messaging services.

“Trai officials will make a presentation on OTT on November 25, after which issues for discussion will be framed and a consultation paper will be issued for the same next month,” the TRAI official told PTI.

Under the draft Telecommunication Bill, the government has proposed to place OTT apps that provide calling and messaging service as telecom services companies.