The task force headed by senior journalist Bharat Dutta Koirala in its report submitted to the Communications Ministry Friday recommended that a single media outlet should not be allowed to operate multiple media channels.
The task force comprised of senior media experts Bharat Dutta Koirala, Durga Nath Sharma and Bijay Kumar Pandey submitted its report on the present state of the electronic media in the country and the measures that need to be initiated to make the media more efficient.
The report has drawn the attention of the government towards the present trend of operating FM radio stations. It has recommended that the FM broadcasts should be limited to a small locality and operators must be prohibited from transmitting in bigger areas without obtaining the license for short wave and medium wave transmissions.
The report has also recommended that the government form a powerful and independent body to reform the entire media sector. It is learnt that the Ministry of Communications forwarded the draft bill to the Ministry of Law for the inception of a National Broadcasting Authority. The draft bill was forwarded immediately after the task force led by Koirala submitted its report.