The proposed curbs on TV channels on live coverage of emergency situations like Mumbai terror attacks have been virtually put on hold.
As the TV news channels stepped up their campaign against the proposed amendments to the Cable Television Network (regulation) Act, 1995, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured them that though his government was actively considering this, any changes in the existing norms would not be done without holding consultations with all the stakeholders.
The PM’s office released a statement saying that he had received a large number of representations from the TV channels on the proposed changes in the Act. “The prime minister has assured that the matter will be taken up for finalisation only after the widest possible consultation with all the stakeholders and eliciting their different points of view on the proposed changes,’’ it said.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also assured the broadcasters that she would take up the matter with the PM. This was conveyed during a 25-minute meeting between the UPA chairperson and a delegation of TV channel editors today.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani has also asked the TV channels to evolve a self-regulatory mechanism whereby they would ensure that the anti-national elements like terrorists could not take advantage of the freedom of media in the country.
Although Advani opposed the government’s role as a regulator to monitor the content of the channels, he told the TV news channel representative that the recent coverage of the Mumbai terrorist attack had changed the public opinion on the live coverage of such situations. He said the news channels must ensure that the self-regulation was complied by all.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat has called for setting up an independent regulator to monitor the content of news channels. Karat said, “Our party is of the view that apart from the self-regulatory mechanism put in place by the news channels, it is necessary to have co-regulation through an independent regulator.” However, Karat has asked the PM that “no hasty steps be taken on empowering the government on this” till a common approach is arrived at this after proper discussions.
