No govt policy to disallow air time on private TV, radio: Jatua

NEW DELHI: Government on Monday said that it has no policy in place for disallowing reasonable air-time access to religious organisations on private television and radio channels.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting C M Jatua said though TRAI has not allowed religious bodies in broadcasting activities or have their own broadcasting stations, private FM radio channels and television channels are free to determine their programmes, provided it is in compliance with relevant programme and advertisement codes of the government.

As per government policy, a company controlled by or associated with a religious body is disqualified from seeking FM radio permissions, Jatua told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The minister in reply to another question said in the print media sector, the operation of foreign news agencies in India is governed by a Cabinet decision of 1956, which says that communication facilities can be granted only where the distribution of news within the country is to be effected through an Indian news agency, owned and managed by Indians.