MADRAS: Federal Information and Broadcasting minister P. Upendra said that the Prachar Bharati report, formulated during the erstwhile Janata Party government, would be the basis for the proposed bill providing autonomy for AllIndia Radio and Doordarshan (television) to be introduced in the first session of the ninth Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament).
Upendra on his first visit to the city after his induction in the federal cabinet, told a press conference that the government would get the bill passed during the budget session of the parliament. The bill would be passed after a public debate.
Doordarshan and AIR would get an organization set up like the BBC. Even after getting the autonomous status they would continue to get the Centre’s financial assistance. The expenditure of AIR and TV was around Rs. 8.5 billion while the income they get though commercials was only Rs. 2 billion per year. If the government did not extend financial assistance the electronic media was likely to come into the clutches of multinationals.
“We are not in favor of AIR and TV coming into the clutches of multinationals for their survival after being relieved from government clutches,” he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 22, 1989
