New Delhi: Criticising the government's new licensing policies for television channels and radio stations, the CPI on Wednesday alleged that the 'plunging popularity' of UPA government has led it to evolve 'dictatorial' policies to control the media and asked it to desist from such measures.
"The plunging popularity of the government seems to be another reason behind the new policies (on TV and radio).... Such dictatorial measures of increasing control over media will not help it to stem its declining popularity," the party Central Secretariat said in a statement here.
The CPI asked the government to 'desist from such backdoor measures to control media and thereby public opinion' and demanded that the government take steps to end consolidation of media ownership and ban cross-ownership of media, as proposed by the erstwhile United Front Government.
The government's new licensing policies were "pro-rich and (aimed to) suppress entrepreneurial capabilities of small and medium sized companies", the Left party alleged.
"This will lead to concentration of media ownership, an issue that nations across the world are battling and Indian Government is encouraging," it said.
Seeking steps to discourage fly-by-night operators, it said increasing the net worth of companies to become eligible for applying for a channel would not solve this problem.
Regarding the regulation that five successful complaints can lead to delicensing of a channel, it said this would give the government "immense control" over the channels. "This is against the spirit of freedom of expression."
Channels flouting rules have to be reined in by an independent regulatory mechanism, it said, demanding that the government establish such a mechanism which should be the only body having the right to withdraw license to a channel.
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