TEXT:
Hon’ble Chairperson of
the UPA Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Hon’ble
Prime Minister Dr.
First
and foremost I would like to thank Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Chairperson
of the UPA for consenting to inaugurate the National Media Centre (NMC).
21
years after it was first conceptualized during the 8th five year
plan (1992-97), the National Media Centre is finally ready to make it’s debut
among the institutions that underpin our democratic edifice. I would like to
congratulate all those who persevered to translate this vision into a reality.
While
we have endeavoured to create a space we hope thought leaders, scholars, media
professionals and people in public affairs would invigorate it into a vibrant
institution that reinforces the core value of the idea of India
We
live in an era of an information overload.
The media landscape has transformed exponentially over the past 2
decades. This transformation has brought
it’s own set of challenges to the media industry. India
A very unfortunate collateral of this epoch making
change is the print industry globally. It is distressing to learn that iconic
newspapers and magazines around the world are ceasing to print. However India
According
to industry sources, print has a combined market penetration of a ball park of
14% roughly therefore the print industry has the potential to expand its
footprint and readership across the national canvas. This sector thus would be
able to weather the shifting sands of technology at least in the Indian
context.
The
Indian broadcasting sector had grown from one channel in 1991 to 852 at the
last count. After statutory
rationalization the number now stands at 795 odd channels. While this has brought about plurality it
has resulted in market fragmentation also.
There are 15.4
crore TV households in India India
This generates
hope that there is an exponential potential for growth provided news
broadcasters and Multi System Operators (MSO’s) are prepared to re-imagine
their content and carriage paradigms respectively.
In
both the print and television genres the revenue model remains heavily
dependent on advertising.
To
give consumers the benefit of better quality of service and correct the skewed
revenue models in the broadcasting sector government launched a massive
digitization exercise in 2012. With 10
million set top boxes seeded in Phase–I, another 20 million in Phase–II and yet
another 80 million scheduled for Phase–III & IV, by the end of 2014 no one
in the Broadcasting Sector can really say that bottom-lines and balance sheets
in August 2013 are not looking better than in October, 2012. The MSME sector must also endeavour to
leverage this unique business opportunity and convert it into the India
For the news
broadcasting industry, the advertisement cap requires a migration path
synchronous with the roll out of digitization.
I hope the T.R.A.I. would give it re-consideration to this issue.
The
new frontier is of course digital. Eric Schmidt
&Jared Cohen in their seminal
treatise made some pre-scient observations which are para phrased as
follows:
a)
The internet is the largest experiment
involving anarchy in history – “and it has succeeded.” last
4 are my words
b)
It represents the largest ungoverned
space on planet earth.
c)
Never before in history have so many
people from so many places had so much power on their finger tips.
d)
Every two days more digital content is
created than from the dawn of civilization until 2003.
e)
What is evolving is a tale of two
civilizations; one physical that has evolved over the millennia and one virtual
that is still very much in formation.
f)
The
New Media rides on the back of this world wide web:
IN INDIA
·
86.7 CRORE MOBILE PHONES
·
12.4 CRORE INTERNET USERS AND EXPECTED
TO
GROW TO 37 CRORES BY 2017
·
8 CRORE PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK
·
1.8 CRORE’S ON TWITTER
And
expanding exponentially this is truly the medium of the future.
The
Government has recently taken a decision to create a New Media Wing in the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to have an institutional presence in
this virtual civilization.
Another
medium that till a decade back was considered a casualty of the tectonic
technological shifts but now stands poised on the threshold of a new wave is
radio. High mobile penetration and
cheap call rates in our country has brought this renaissance into replay.
Yet another sector which
has just completed a centenary of existence is films. This industry has grown but still has
tremendous potential. As per an industry estimate, about 14 million Indians go
to the movies everyday. As per another report, the film industry is valued at
112.4 billion INR [$1.741 billion], and is estimated to grow to about 193.3
billion INR [$2.994 billion] by 2017, a compound annual growth rate (C.A.G.R.)
of about 11.5%. The regional film industry is a steady contributor to this
growth process.
As
we speak a committee under Chief Justice (Rtd) Shri Mukul Mudgul is winding
down it’s remit to overhaul the archaic Cinematographic Act of 1952. Another
task force under the leadership of Shri Sam Pitroda is also close to finalizing
their recommendations on a comprehensive restructuring of Prasar Bharti. Yet
another group of eminent persons is reimagining the entire universe of
government communications.
While the UPA Government has more than walked the
extra mile to create an enabling environment, as evidenced by the fact
that industry reports indicate that the
media sector has grown by a Compound Annual
Growth Rate (C.A.G.R.) of over 9% between 2007-2012 and is projected to grow at 15%
between 2012-2017.
There
are however some paradoxes that all stakeholders in this sector must try and
collectively resolve to find the elusive golden mean. These are:
(a)
Paradox of the short fuse-
Increased information dissemination
mechanisms qua-increased intolerance of the others point of view.
(b)
Paradox of Flawed Revenue Models qua
Questionable Revenue Generation practices
(c)
Paradox of TRPs qua truth
(d)
Media Trials qua a Fair Judicial Trail
guaranteed by article 21 of the constitution.
(e)
Anonymity masquerading as privacy in the
new media space. -- the spectre of the ‘hidden’ people.
(f)
Non emergence of global rules of
engagement in the virtual civilization.
(g)
Last mile neutrality among carriage
providers so that content providers get a level playing field and are able to
reap the benefits of convergence
The
UPA government’s media philosophy has been an essay in persuasion and not an
essay in regulation. While appreciating
the role that various mediums of the media have played over the years, as we
try and catalyze the growth ambience in this sector, it is my responsibility to
flag the aberrations and gaps and see how they can be surmounted with the
co-operation of all concerned to ensure that discourse remains constructive.
May I thank all of you for honouring us with your
presence today morning.
Courtesy: Press Information Bureau
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