The day-long State Information Ministers Conference ended in New Delhi yesterday with a consensus among states on the need for having an independent, autonomous and credible regulator for broadcast issues. However, some stakeholders felt that a regulator imposed by the Government may not be the ideal solution as it could be a double-edged weapon.<br/><br/>Prominent broadcasters bodies like Broadcast Editors' Association and the News Broadcasters Association pleaded for more time to prove the efficacy of the self-regulation mechanism initiated by them. Some other significant issues on which there was consensus included digitalisation in broadcasting sector especially in the cable TV sector, need for a contemporised Press and Registration of Books Act, requirement for effective laws for curbing piracy right from the source and rationalisation of entertainment tax across states and subsuming it in the proposed Goods and Services Tax.<br/>The conference, held under the chairmanship of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni and attended by ministers and official representatives from over 30 states as also a cross-section of experts and stakeholders from media, strongly endorsed the proposal to amend the Press and Registration of Books Act and felt that such an amendment was long overdue. <br/>