MxMIndia

Tag: KVL Narayan Rao

  • In addition, directors may have to be cleared by the MHA every time an existing TV company launches a new channel

    Home min tightens screws on TV channels. Director credentials to be reverified every 3 yrs

    By A Correspondent

     

    Television channels will have to get the credentials of their directors re-verified by the Union home ministry every three years, creating a major stumbling block in their smooth functioning. Adding to the bureaucratic hurdles, sources also said that directors would have to be cleared by MHA every time the same TV company launches a new channel.

     

    At present, the process of clearance of directors’ credentials by MHA has no time limit and can meander on for months, even years.

     

    Until now, security clearances given by the home ministry to TV channels was not time-bound, and companies were only required to report any change in their board of directors to the I&B ministry, which in turn would seek a clearance from the home ministry. There was also no requirement to have fresh MHA clearance every time the same company launched a new channel.

     

    Every broadcaster is granted a licence for 10 years, but after the home ministry clears all the directors on the company’s board.

     

    A few months ago, the I&B ministry had sent a letter to the home ministry seeking information on the validity of clearances for broadcasters. There was no such validity prescribed by the home ministry until then, but after I&B ministry’s query, MHA replied that security clearances would be valid only for a three-year period.

     

    KVL Narayan Rao

    KVL Narayan Rao, executive vice-chairperson, NDTV Group and president, News Broadcasters Association, said he is yet to see the ministry order but said all broadcaster will be affected. “If true, it’s bizarre, absurd and will affect the operations of all broadcasters – both proposed and existing.”

     

    He said approvals from the MHA take up to two years and if the nod for a director has a validity of just three years, existing broadcasters too will be affected. “Is this some way to regulate the media?” he questioned.

     

    Ashok Venkatramani, CEO of Media Content & Communication Services, that owns channels such as ABP News, said the move could cause delays in the launch of new channels as such approvals require 3-6 months. He questioned the rationale of the move: “Why does an Indian broadcaster, all directors of which are Indians, require an approval from India’s home ministry? Such a stipulation might be reasonable for an MNC broadcaster with foreign directors, not otherwise.”

     

    There are close to 300 companies running over 800 television channels in the country today. This move would mean that all clearances given to channels prior to October 2010-a majority of channels received clearances before this date -will be reviewed again by MHA and is likely to have a major impact on running of businesses.

     

    “We would visualise that the ministry should streamline processes, rationalise them rather than increase them. This is a repetition of a process,” Sunil Lulla, managing director and chief executive officer of Times Television Network.

     

    The query by the I&B ministry a few months back has also meant all new permissions issued by the ministry have stopped for the last six months, the last one being granted in May 2013.

     

    Another important fallout is that the I&B ministry has now started referring all new applications by broadcasters to MHA for their clearance, even if the application is by a registered broadcaster. Earlier, the ministry used to process new applications of registered broadcasters without any reference to MHA, unless if there was a change in the Board of Directors of the company.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

     

     

  • Former Attorney General and legal eagle Soli Sorabjee will provide an independent perspective on NDTV's coverage as also investigate viewer complaints against NDTV media entities

    NDTV appoints Soli Sorabjee as ombudsman. Now will he clear air on Barkha Dutt episode?

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s a welcome move, but one wonders what would have been the impact had this appoinment been before the entire Niira Radia episode was raging where the channel’s star editor and anchor Barkha Dutt was embroiled in a controversy over unethical practices.

     

    Be that as it may, NDTV has now announced the appointment of former Attorney-General of India and eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee as its Ombudsman who will provide an independent perspective on our coverage and investigate any viewers’ complaints regarding NDTV.

     

    In his honorary position, Mr Sorabjee will be entirely independent from NDTV and will investigate any complaints viewers may have about NDTV’s coverage.

     

    Sonia Singh, NDTV’s Editorial Director and President of the Ethics Committee said, “Every day, we in the media face new editorial challenges regarding journalistic boundaries and we are delighted that Mr Sorabjee will, with his unchallenged integrity, be able to provide much needed insight and advice.”

     

    Vikram Chandra

    Added Vikram Chandra, NDTV Group CEO and Executive Director: “NDTV has always been committed to the highest standards of integrity and balance in its news coverage and we have now decided to take that one step further by appointing an independent ombudsman who can adjudicate on any issues that may come up in the future.”

     

     

     

    KVL Narayan Rao

    Speaking on his appointment, KVL Narayan Rao, Vice Chairperson, NDTV Group said, “Mr Soli Sorabjee is an independent, highly respected, highly regarded legal luminary, with years of experience in handling issues relating to freedom of expression and freedom of the press and censorship. We are delighted he has agreed to be the ombudsman for NDTV.”

     

    Viewers can send in complaints and questions to http://www.ndtv.com/soli

     

    MxM View: We do not know whether Mr Sorabjee will examine the Barkha Dutt-Niira Radia episode, but since the ‘case’ hasn’t closed yet, it would be interesting to have his views on the issue. It may well clear Ms Dutt’s name once and for all or we could well have Mr Sorabjee aver that by doing what she did, Ms Dutt has brought disrepute to the profession and the NDTV group.

     

  • It is not media’s right but rather an obligation to keep the people informed and it should not give the government a chance to step in and hold it accountable, says Justice Varma.

    @FF12: NBSA chief suggests independent regulation for media

    By A Correspondent

     

    In 1950, Jawaharlal Nehru said that freedom of speech should be granted to good and bad editors, but they should use it in national interest for he believed that if it is left to the government to decide, the good editors will be jailed and the only the chamchas will survive. This was the opening Justice JS Varma, former chief justice, Supreme Court and  News Broadcasters Standards Association (NBSA) Chairperson used for his keynote address for the session ‘Freedom of Media: Significance of self regulation’.

     

    Justice Varma said that freedom of speech is precious and we have to preserve it. The way to do so is self regulation as the media is mature enough to know to do it themselves and ward off the danger of state regulation.

     

    He said that it is not media’s right but rather an obligation to keep the people informed so that they can participate in government decision making process. It is the media’s duty to ensure transparency to ensure accountability.

     

    Justice Varma emphasised that the media should not give the government a chance to step in and hold it accountable. He said that the media (which reports) and judiciary (which decides) are the two strongest pillars of our democracy and they shouldn’t use their strength (power) to harm anyone, lest their power be curtailed due to lack of their accountability.

     

    Moving on, Justice Varma criticised the media, especially the broadcast media’s tendency for breaking news. He said that the key tenets of journalism should be kept in mind while reporting ‘breaking news’- is it true, fair and in public interest. He said that objectivity and due diligence must be applied while covering news. He cautioned the media, which has tremendous reach, to be cautious in its reporting as the effect of the news it flashes is instantaneous. He closed his address by saying “The more potential for damage, the more is the accountability you have”.

     

    The moderator, Barun Das, Zee News CEO and Vice President, News Broadcasters Association (NBA) spoke about how the media can’t be regulated as it is an essential pillar of democracy. He opined that free media can be good or bad but media which is not free can never be good.

     

    Mr Das said that regulation is a process of evolution. The media needs to introspect and understand where it stands.

     

    He outlined the dilemmas faced by the media while trying balance the content and the bottomline where news is trivialised for gaining eyeballs. The broadcast media especially is constantly grappling with trying to strike a balance between what the audience ‘would like to see’ and what they “should see”.

     

    The stage was then thrown open for the panel discussion. Each of the panellist was given time to speak and answer questions by the moderator.

     

    The discussion was opened by KVL Narayan Rao, executive vice chair person NDTV and President, NBA.

     

    Mr Rao said that there is no question of compromise on the fact that that media is free and that is the way it should be in a democracy. He said thatIndiais the largest free news market with a reach of 500 million households (news TV reaching nearly 115 million households).

     

    He said that in the early 2000s, after the private players were allowed in, they got together to set up the NBA to set up a code of programming and ethics which will regulate their broadcasting. He emphasised that it was important to have an independent and respected authority to keep a vigil on what is happening in the industry. He was proud of the fact that they telecast a scroll reminding the viewers that they have a forum to go to if they have any complaints.

     

    He also spoke about the NBSA which has been an advisory to the media with regards to improvement in news coverage and takes up issues suo moto if the media is found lacking.

     

    When questioned by Mr Das about balance or conflict on interest between news and business, Mr Rao was emphatic that there should be a “Chinese wall separating news and commercial interests”. He opined that news is to inform, educate and entertain the public independent of government and advertisers. He allowed that some compromise may take place but said that with digitisation, more cost can be spent on content and hence the scenario will change.

     

    Next to take the mike was Nitin Desai, Former under Secretary General, United Nations and member NBSA.

     

    Mr Desai started by saying that he disliked the term self regulation and “independent regulation would be a more appropriate term”. He said that emphasis should be given to developing the independent regulation in such a way that it is credible in the eyes of the media, the people and the view makers.

     

    His main concern was about the emergence of new media and challenges presented to regulate it.  He reiterated the need for due diligence to be given to fair and unbiased reporting, rights of an individual to privacy and avoiding trial by media.

     

    He said that he had already noticed a change in the fact that the mindset of the editors and the non-media members on the NBSA was converging due to the internalising the sense of responsibility.

     

    When questioned about the trivialisation of content, Mr Desai said that it was being done as the measurements showed that the audience preferred it. He said that there was a need for a different measuring system for news channels. He also opined that news channel have to stop behaving like money making operations and take responsibility to cover news that “people should know”.

     

    Phillip Turner, Chief of Bureau, CNN International, South Asia said thatIndiahad a long tradition of journalism but we tended to forget it. He emphasised that focus should be on stories that have a relevance to the rest of the world and maintaining the integrity of the media. He agreed with Mr Desai that the new media is presenting a challenge for regulation but he was of the opinion that everything would work out if the media stuck to the basic tenets of journalism – fair, relevant, responsible and accurate reporting.

     

    When asked about the need for a NBA-like worldwide authority, he wasn’t sure that such a platform could work globally.

     

    Kiran Karnik, member NBSA and former president of NASSCOM spoke about the challenges of new media. He said that today, when the news is available instantly as reported by citizen journalists and through the new media, it is the responsibility of the media to separate what is true and what is not. He also opined that news media today has shifted from reporting news to making news. He cautioned them to use the power they have responsibly by maintaining their standards and not infringing on the rights of the people.

     

    When questioned on the challenges thrown up by the new media, he agreed that technology is not amenable to censorship and also the consumer is becoming the creator and consumer. But he emphasised that there should be zero tolerance for unverified news and the news media as the aggregators of news should use their own censors.

     

    Mr Das wrapped up the session by stating that now is the time to convert challenges into opportunities and inclusive growth through media is the way forward.