The Hindu : New Delhi News : Women seek regulatory authority for broadcasting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Women seek regulatory authority for broadcasting

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 14. Women's groups across the Capital have written to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Jaipal Reddy, drawing his attention to the void created by the absence of an effective regulatory framework for broadcasting.

"On the part of the national broadcaster and the administrative machinery, mechanisms of exchange and feed back to understand the day-to-day grievances, reservations of citizens and viewers are absent," argued these public interest groups in a memorandum submitted to him here last week.

"There is complete lack of informed and studied understanding of viewers' experiences, expectations on checks and balances -- be it on content, distribution, legal environment, effect and impact of media. Inconsistent and ad hoc policies govern broadcasting -- be it on ownership, distribution, contents or rights and responsibilities of different stakeholders. The viewer and consumer finds herself/himself caught in the crossfire between different stakeholders,'' the memorandum said, reiterating the need for legislative intervention to give level playing field to them in particular those from the marginal and vulnerable communities, giving voice to local and regional aspirations and needs, ensuring plurality of views, news and representation and safeguarding sensitivity of less privileged sections of society.

Secondly, there was need for setting up an autonomous regulatory authority for broadcasting with immediate effect, the groups argued. "This body must command the confidence of civil society organisations, independent professional associations and most vitally, the different sections of the consumers and users of media,'' they said pointing out that consumers after the recent CAS chaos have lost faith in the processes that government uses no mandate action and arrive at decisions.

"In the light of that experience, it is important for the government to have a series of public debates, hearings and consultations. This process will help to renew people's confidence in the official machinery and to ensure that any action mandated by the government reflects the insights, needs and aspirations of critical sections of society,'' the groups said. .

The groups also welcomed Mr. Reddy's statement on the need to strengthen the autonomy of the national broadcaster. It must function as a genuine vehicle of public broadcasting and particularly represent all marginal and vulnerable sections of society. It must establish extremely democratic norms of governance; ensure representation of civil society groups in its advisory Committees and bodies.

The women's organisations/activists who have come together to voice these demands include V. Mohini Giri of the Guild of Service; Brinda Karat of the AIDWA; Mary Khemchand of YWCA; Saba Farooqui of NFIW; Dr. Syeda Hameed of MWF; Jyotsana Chatterjee of JWP; Vina Mazumdar of CWDS; Gomti Nair of AIWC; Akhila Sivadas of CFAR and Husna Subhani of AIMWF.

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