NBA rechristens its name as News Broadcasters and Digital Association

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on Friday said it has decided to change its name to the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) to bring within its purview digital media news broadcasters.

The NBA board also decided to rechristen the name of the News Broadcasting Standard Authority (NBSA), a self-regulatory body set up by the Association 14 years ago, as the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority with the inclusion of digital media news broadcasters, the broadcasters body said in a statement.

The decision was taken by the NBA board to "reflect" the addition of digital media news broadcasters as its members with the media landscape having changed "drastically" due to technology, it added.

Announcing the decision, the NBA president Rajat Sharma 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", he said.

"The 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 the NBA to the NBDA," he said.

The NBA said it consists of the "nation's top-rated news channels", claiming that it "commands more than 80 per cent of news television viewership" in India.

"The pride of the NBA has been the setting up of an independent self-regulatory body News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) 14 years ago," it said.

The NBSA has put in place "a time-tested" complaint redressal system and process, headed by eminent judges of the Supreme Court and eminent persons who have striven to improve broadcasting standards, it said.