NEW DELHI: A delegation of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the regulator for Internet, telecom and broadcasting in the US, will discuss with Indian government officials and departmental heads, various aspects of regulation.
Though the visit is being kept a low-key affair and the FCC team is not meeting the media, it has been learnt that with India on the threshold of enacting a law for the convergence era and in the process of fine-tuning some regulatory aspects related to broadcasting, the interaction would give the Indians an insight into regulation.
The FCC team, including Rod Poster, deputy, international bureau, is slated to meet government officials in the department of information technology, telecom ministry and information and broadcasting ministry. The meeting at the I&B ministry is scheduled for tomorrow, after which the team is understood to be flying off to Chennai in the evening.
Industry observers here said that that the Indians can take a few tips from the FCC on various aspects of regulation, including ways to rein in errant industry players. Moreover, in the absence of a super-regulatory authority, FCC's experience in dealing with the complexities of the corporate world would be handy.
However in recent times, even in the US, some changes suggested by the FCC on changing media laws and regulations have got critics up in arms. Critics in the US opine that the changes suggested by the FCC are aimed at benefiting media barons like Rupert Murdoch, somebody who is discussed regularly these days in India too, because of Star News, which is part of the magnate's vast empire.