New Delhi: News Broadcasters Association (NBA) which is India’s largest body of news broadcasters, has decided to change its present name to “News Broadcasters & Digital Association” (NBDA).
NBA consists of the nation’s top-rated news channels and commands more than 80 percent of news television viewership in India. With the media landscape has changed drastically due to technology, enormous choices have now become available to viewers to access content on various mediums and digital seems to be the future, NBA Board has decided to change the name of NBA to NBDA in order to reflect the addition of digital media news broadcasters as its members.
Announcing the decision NBA President Rajat Sharma said: “NBA has decided to bring within its purview digital media news broadcasters. In its new phase, with the inclusion of digital media news broadcasters, the NBA Board has decided to change the name of the body from NBA to NBDA.”
He said: “I firmly believe that the NBDA will become a strong collective voice for both the broadcast and digital media. Along with commercial and regulatory issues, it will also enable the Association to defend the fundamental right of free speech and expression guaranteed to the media in the Constitution of India in a better manner.”
The pride of News Broadcasters Association has been the setting up of an independent self-regulatory body News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) 14 years ago. The NBSA has put in place a time-tested complaint redressal system and process, headed by eminent judges of the Supreme Court of India and eminent persons who have striven to improve broadcasting standards. NBDA Board has decided that with the inclusion of digital media news broadcasters, the name of the self-regulatory body, News Broadcasting Standard Authority (NBSA) be rechristened as “News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority” (NBDSA).