"A regulatory authority can be formed outside the ambit of the Convergence Bill, though no firm opinion has been formed on the issue yet," a senior government official said today.

Though the government official gave no time-frame for setting up a regulatory body, the need for which is been increasingly impressed upon by many in the light of introduction of addressability in Indian cable homes from 1 September, he did admit that some sort of a draft has been prepared on it in the information and broadcasting ministry. The cry for a regulatory body is also echoing in Parliament with a question on it slated to be answered by I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tomorrow in the Lower House of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) when media-related issues are discussed by policy makers there.

However, replying to a question on the same issue in the Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) earlier this week, Prasad had maintained that the government is looking into the issue of a regulatory body, but has no time frame for its formation.

The minister had gone on to add that the CCB actually addresses the issue of a regulatory authority for the sectors of IT, telecom and broadcasting, but the Bill was pending Parliament’s okay as a parliamentary panel, mandated to examine various aspects, had suggested last year over 70 changes in the Bill.

CCB aims at enacting into law a set-up for the convergence era and if the Indian government okays such a law, it would only be the second country after Malaysia in the world to do so.