The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has just notified the draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026, marking a monumental shift in media regulation. The new framework seeks to consolidate decades of sector-specific guidelines under the recent Telecommunications Act. Crucially, the draft introduces tightened cross-ownership restrictions to prevent media monopolies and enforces substantially higher minimum net-worth requirements for news channels (₹20 crore) compared to non-news networks.

While aiming to streamline licensing, smaller independent broadcasters worry these high financial thresholds could severely stifle media diversity and prevent new regional competitors from entering the television market.