Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a roadshow ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections, in Bengaluru.
the story So Far: In the recently concluded Karnataka assembly elections, political parties were provided free airtime on public broadcasters, All India Radio (Akashvani) and Doordarshan during the elections. The allocation was available to six recognized national parties – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian National Congress (INC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), National People’s Party (NPP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a recognized state party, Janata Dal (Secular). Parties were allotted a base time of 45 minutes and additional slots based on performance in previous elections. A total of 630 minutes of free airtime was released under this allocation.
What is the rationale of the scheme?
The facility of providing free airtime to political parties during elections was given statutory basis through a 2003 amendment to the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Supreme Court in its famous judgment ( Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Vs. Cricket Association of Bengal & Anr., 1995), held that the airwaves are public property and should be used for the greater public good. Elections being the lifeblood of a democracy, misuse or abuse of the airwaves to gain undue electoral advantage is a major regulatory concern of governments around the world.
In the US, for example, the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates electronic media in the country, devised the Fairness Doctrine to keep election campaigns on the airwaves fair. Now the passive impartiality doctrine places an affirmative obligation on broadcasters who carry the political material of one candidate in the electoral fray to expand their program to that of the other candidate.
Also in the UK, political parties are allocated designated slots by Parliament to convey important political information to the public, known as party political broadcasts (PPBs). The British communications watchdog, Ofcom, is responsible for ensuring that PPBs are included in every licensed public service television channel and commercial radio services. Similar requirements have been adopted in Singapore, Brazil and Japan.
What is the function of planning?
In the Karnataka elections, the BJP got 167 minutes of airtime on both DD and All India Radio, while the Congress got 174 minutes and the JD(S) 107 minutes. Time Vouchers are distributed by a lottery system by the Election Commission in a transparent process to eliminate any preferential treatment in getting primetime slots.
Transcripts of political parties are scrutinized to ensure that they comply with the relevant codes. These codes prohibit any content that is Always Criticizing other countries, attacking religions or other communities, or inciting violence and personal attacks. In case of any disagreement on the content of the revised script by the public broadcaster, it is referred to an Apex Committee consisting of members from AIR and DD, whose decision is final.
In the Indian media landscape, due to the ownership pattern of media houses, the public generally identifies a broadcaster as being affiliated with one political party or the other. In this regard, state sponsored airtime provides more variety and color to the electoral process.
For example, the NPP, a rank outsider in the Karnataka elections, was given a base time of 45 minutes, similar to the Congress and the BJP. Since the content to be broadcast has to adhere to specific codes, it upholds the principle of fair play.
Guidelines by the Election Commission of India (ECI) It is also necessary that a maximum of two panel discussions should also be broadcast by AIR and DD. These discussions provide an excellent platform for parties both big and small to debate and criticize each other’s policies and manifestos and generally promote an informed citizenship.
What are the operational challenges?
The fact that the scheme is available to national and recognized state parties may attract arguments that it is not really equitable. In light of the recent withdrawal of national party status for the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), this observation assumes significance. However, the ECI is constrained by considerations of practicality and the fact that the airwaves are not an infinite resource.
The apex committee comprising officials from All India Radio and DD is expected to sit in review of its decision in case of conflict with political party on the content of the transcript. This leaves room for conflict of interest and hence, a more representative committee can be constituted.
There are also calls for extending the provision to cover private broadcasters, similar to the fairness doctrine in the US. A designated slot may be made mandatory for private channels to broadcast content uniformly and to provide a platform for smaller parties and candidates. Political broadcasting can be clearly distinguished from regular news broadcasts and programmes.
The 2024 General Elections will witness an unprecedented level of campaigning in the media. As spaces for calm, fair, well-intentioned and thoughtful debate shrink in a frenzy to garner attention, it is imperative that the airwaves are used to nurture and enrich Indian democracy and set the benchmark for other electoral democracies .
The writer is an officer of the Indian Information Service. The views expressed are personal and not those of the Government.