MUMBAI: The government appears to be veering towards acceding to a long standing demand of private FM radio networks that they be given news broadcasting rights.

The Broadcasting Bill, to be placed in the next session of Parliament, is likely to contain the provision of giving news broadcasting rights to private FM channels, the Press Trust of India news agency has quoted All India Radio director-general Brijeshwar Singh as saying in Kolkata today.

Singh, however, said that there was opposition to it already from some political parties, PTI reported.

Slamming what he termed as the sensationalisation of news by private TV channels, Singh suggested a regulatory mechanism to check this practice. Singh was also quick to point out that AIR "has not been accused of this".