The Hindu : Kerala News : Kerala may seek rejection of Broadcast Regulation Bill

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Kerala may seek rejection of Broadcast Regulation Bill

Special Correspondent

Opposition to it to be conveyed to Centre

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is likely to seek rejection of the Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill.

A meeting of journalists and TV channel functionaries convened by the Directorate of Publications here on Friday heard sharp criticism of various provisions of the Bill, the dominant point of difference with the Bill being that it tended to place excessive authority in the government to control the broadcast media.

Winding up the discussion, Information Secretary Sheela Thomas said the government would communicate to the Centre the general opposition to the Bill from the journalist community in Kerala after talks at the level of the government.

The State government, she said, had an open mind on the issue and would stand by the principle of total media freedom.

‘Draconian’

Earlier, participating in the discussion, Kerala Press Academy chairman Thomas Jacob called for outright rejection of the Bill, as its provisions were ‘draconian’ and out of tune with contemporary realities.

The provisions for pre-censorship and compulsory broadcast of government stand on diverse issues were totally unacceptable, he said.

Madhyamam Editor O. Abdul Rahiman said the spirit and content of the Bill militated against the basic principles of media freedom.

It would only bring back the days of censorship with which the media in India had lived during Emergency.

Serious consequences

The provision for search of media institutions that violate the government diktat and seizure of equipment without legal redress would have serious consequences for the media scene in the country, he pointed out.

Asianet editor K.P. Mohanan, Amrita TV senior news editor G.K. Suresh Babu, Manorama News TV director of news Johny Lukose, Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) State vice-president K. Kunhikkannan, Thiruvananthapuram Doordarshan Kendra executive producer T. Chamiyar, news editor Dr. Ambadi, assistant station director G. Sajan, programme executive Jyothish Kumar, among others, spoke.

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