Editors Guild rejects proposed 'Content Code'
Joining forces with the news broadcasters, the Editors Guild of India today rejected the proposed 'Content Code' saying it gave government "enormous power to shift goalpost" when it liked.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: Joining forces with the news broadcasters, the Editors Guild of India today rejected the proposed 'Content Code' saying it gave government "enormous power to shift goalpost" when it liked.
Ahead of the talks between Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi and the broadcasters tomorrow, the Guild called for a more inclusive, nationwide debate on the issue by involving all stakeholders.
"The Guild does not accept the proposed Broadcast Services Regulation Bill in its present form, as it will give enormous control and clout over news and current affairs channels, to the government of the day," K S Sachidananda Murthy, Secretary General of the guild, told media.
He said the Bill's provisions are liable to be used to keep the news and current affairs channels "under the benign as well as malign control" of the government.
"Under the proposed law, government gets enormous powers to shift the goalposts as and when it likes, both on content and non-content issues," Murthy said, adding the government of the day could "misuse" the provisions to reward or punish a channel on its whims.
Observing that the government reserved the right to nominate and withdraw all the officials who would be running the proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India, the Guild said it was "nothing but a governmental body."
Ahead of the talks between Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi and the broadcasters tomorrow, the Guild called for a more inclusive, nationwide debate on the issue by involving all stakeholders.
"The Guild does not accept the proposed Broadcast Services Regulation Bill in its present form, as it will give enormous control and clout over news and current affairs channels, to the government of the day," K S Sachidananda Murthy, Secretary General of the guild, told media.
He said the Bill's provisions are liable to be used to keep the news and current affairs channels "under the benign as well as malign control" of the government.
"Under the proposed law, government gets enormous powers to shift the goalposts as and when it likes, both on content and non-content issues," Murthy said, adding the government of the day could "misuse" the provisions to reward or punish a channel on its whims.
Observing that the government reserved the right to nominate and withdraw all the officials who would be running the proposed Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India, the Guild said it was "nothing but a governmental body."
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