Editors seek SP's help to take up their case to PM

New Delhi: Seeking to build pressure on the Government to withdraw a proposed move to curb electronic media from broadcasting emergency situations like the Mumbai terror strikes, editors of major news channels on today knocked on Samajwadi Party's door for support.

Representatives of the News Broadcasters Association met SP general secretary Amar Singh and requested him to take up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh their concerns over a move to amend the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

Government, as per sources, is planning to allow private channels to show only authorised feed of footage of emergency situations, a move opposed by the broadcasters.

"The television channel people met me... I personally believe there should be a provision that can prevent enemy nations from accessing sensitive information pertaining to national interest. This could be a issue of debate.

However, the kind of provision the government has proposed in its note sent to Cabinet Secretariat, can violate freedom of press," he said here.

Singh further said, "as per the note prepared by the government, if I go to attend some meeting in my area in UP or if Sonia Gandhi and Rahul go to Amethi or Rae Bareli, then Mayawati's administration can snatch the cameras of television channels covering the events. This is a strange situation".

The SP general secretary assured the channel editors that he would try and raise their concerns on the matter to the Prime Minister.

"I think the concerns raised by television channel editors are valid and I am with them. I will put their concerns in front of the Prime Minister whenever I meet him, as per my stature, as we are supporting the government and it

is surviving because of us," Singh said.

The meeting of the channel editors with the SP leader comes in the wake of their efforts to garner political support against the government's proposed move to amend the Cable TV Act, through which it can restrain media coverage of emergency situations like terror incidents.

Earlier this week, the channel editors met CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and BJP President Rajnath Singh.

In fact, they are also trying to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader L K Advani over the issue.

Meanwhile, the Editors Guild of India also voiced its concerns on the issue by writing to the Prime Minister.

The channel editors also held a meeting on Tuesday, in which they unanimously sought withdrawal of the proposal.

All major media bodies, over the last week, have come together to oppose the government's move and sought an appointment with the Prime Minister, who also holds charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Industry sources told PTI that during last week's meeting between Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma and NBA officials, the minister categorically told the broadcasters that though they have come up with self regulating guidelines in the form of an "emergency protocol", the government will still go ahead with its move to restrain their coverage of terror incidents.

With the Supreme Court maintaining a critical view on television coverage of such incidents, and also on the kind of "objectionable" telecast shown on private channels, government is preparing an affidavit to be submitted to the apex court, explaining how it is going about addressing the issue, official sources said.

In this light, sources said, government too, under judicial pressure, may go ahead with its stringent guidelines to control private broadcasters.