Communist Party of India condemns the Government of India's new licensing policies of Television Channels & Radio stations. These policies are pro-rich and suppress entrepreneurial capabilities of small and medium sized companies. This will lead to concentration of media ownership an issue that nations across the world are battling and Indian Government is encouraging.
Steps should be definitely taken to discourage fly by night operators who have been granted licenses but have not been operating for years. However those can be discouraged by stipulating that the channel should be on air within a certain period. Increasing the net worth of the company for eligibility for applying for a channel does not solve this problem.
The plunging popularity of the government seems to be another reason behind the new policies as the regulation that five successful complaints can lead to a channel being delicensed gives immense control for the government over the channels. This is against the spirit of freedom of expression. Channels flouting rules have to be reigned in by an independent regulatory mechanism. The government should take steps to establish such a mechanism and only that body should be given the right to withdraw license to the channel.
Such dictatorial measures of increasing control over media will not help it to stem its declining popularity. Communist party of India urges the government to desist from such backdoor measures to control media and thereby public opinion.
Communist Party of India also demands that the government bring in measures to end consolidation of media ownership and ban cross-ownership of media as proposed during the tenure of the erstwhile United Front Government.
Steps should be definitely taken to discourage fly by night operators who have been granted licenses but have not been operating for years. However those can be discouraged by stipulating that the channel should be on air within a certain period. Increasing the net worth of the company for eligibility for applying for a channel does not solve this problem.
The plunging popularity of the government seems to be another reason behind the new policies as the regulation that five successful complaints can lead to a channel being delicensed gives immense control for the government over the channels. This is against the spirit of freedom of expression. Channels flouting rules have to be reigned in by an independent regulatory mechanism. The government should take steps to establish such a mechanism and only that body should be given the right to withdraw license to the channel.
Such dictatorial measures of increasing control over media will not help it to stem its declining popularity. Communist party of India urges the government to desist from such backdoor measures to control media and thereby public opinion.
Communist Party of India also demands that the government bring in measures to end consolidation of media ownership and ban cross-ownership of media as proposed during the tenure of the erstwhile United Front Government.
Fr. New Age
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