Koshi Province Passes Mass Communication Bill Amidst Debate Over Media Regulation

Biratnagar. On Chaitra 18, the federal government led by Balendra Shah issued a circular directing all government agencies to publish and broadcast notices exclusively through state-owned media outlets. The directive aimed to ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, and the promotion of government-owned media such as Gorkhapatra Sansthan, Radio Nepal, and Nepal Television.

However, the 'Mass Communication Bill' passed by the Koshi Province Assembly on Monday establishes a legal framework requiring provincial government notices and advertisements to be provided to local media outlets. Sections 40 and 42 prioritize small-scale, local, and mother-tongue media for public welfare advertisements, ensuring proportional distribution.

The bill introduces provisions to encourage media mergers and includes special support for journalists from marginalized communities, including women, indigenous groups, Dalits, and people with disabilities. The seven-member Mass Communication Foundation committee must now include at least three women, and the age requirement for members has been lowered from 45 to 35 years.

While the bill mandates that media organizations are responsible for the health and accident insurance of their journalists, it also requires online media to provide permanent account numbers and VAT registration certificates for renewal. Controversial provisions that previously threatened press freedom and imposed heavy fines have been revised. Fines for code of conduct violations now range from 5,000 to 50,000 rupees, with a mandatory warning process before punitive action.

The bill establishes an autonomous 'Mass Communication Foundation' to oversee media regulation, capacity building, and advertisement distribution. Despite these improvements, some stakeholders, including Vivek Gautam of the Press Center, have expressed concerns regarding the removal of clauses prohibiting political party members from holding appointments within the Foundation and the potential for the body to act as a quasi-judicial entity.