After weeks of debating and conferring with media professionals and studying the Western systems of TV broadcasting, a picture of how private TV channels will operate in the Indian scenario is finally beginning to emerge.
According to the guidelines being framed for establishing private TV channels, large newspaper houses will not be allowed broadcasting rights in the regions where they have a dominant presence,
For instance, the Caleutta based Ananda Bazar Group (ABP) will not get TV broadcasting rights in West Bengal, Similarly, the Hindu will not be allowed to operate in Tamil Nadu, The Hindustan Times in Delhi and Manorama in Kerala.
Such a restriction on “cross media holdings” is being imposed to curb media monopoly by any one group. The pattern that is being evolved is more or less based on those that have proved to be successful in the West, where large newspaper houses are debarred from holding equity or any other form of control in a private TV channel.
In fact, every major newspaper group in the county. Including The Times of India, Ananda Bazar Patrika living Media and The Hindustan Times is making a bid for a stake i the private TV business. These groups will have to bid T.V broadcasting rights over territories where they do not have a dominant presence, according to The Economic Times. Journal War
The American Headquarters of leftwing journal has lunched campaign against India’s ban on its exports.
A World to Win, which has its US offices in New York, started a leer writing campaign calling on American organization and individuals to write to the Indian government and the Indian embassy here against what it has called “blatant act of popliteal censorship” against it
The 16th issue of the magazine, which has links with the CPL (ML) led by K.Venu, was publishing its issues in India to save costs. “The issue impounded by customs this July was on the Gulf war and the role played by the USA and the Soviet Union. The impounded issues were bound for Europe when the customs withheld clearance.
“It is dangerous precedent when a government can prevent the distribution of an International Journal using political concerns as a reason” asserted Jonathon Brown, spokesman for the magazine from his New York office. He said even though the late Rajiv Gandhi had opposed. The U.S policy in the Gulf and had spoken out against refueling of American planes in Bombay the present govt didn’t want to offend Washington.
The North American distributors of a’ World to Win a remaking photocopies of the June, 1991 issue for distribution apart from appealing for letters of protest.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 1, 1991
