Thursday, May 1, 2008

Press Council steps on threats to NE scribes

New Delhi, May 1 : The Press Council of India (PCI) has issued fresh guidelines following threats to the mediapersons in the North-east particularly in Assam and Manipur. Concerned over the threats to newspersons in the two States, the PCI constituted an Assessment Committee for Assam, whose scope was later enlarged to include Manipur. The Council has issued guidelines based on the Committee’s report.

The Council’s action came after NE Television owned by Positiv Television Private Limited moved it, complaining of threats being received by the print and electronic media representatives in the North-east, said Information and Broadcasting Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi in a Rajya Sabha reply to a question by Kumar Deepak Das.

The complaint was referred to the Chief Minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs on March 29 last year requesting all possible measures to ensure security of the print and electronic mediapersons, especially of the NE Television.

The Council also referred to the State Chief Secretary, yet another complaint by NE Television alleging discriminatory behaviour of district administration towards the channel, Dasmunshi said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of I&B is considering two more proposals from Assam-based companies to launch TV channels. One application is from Brahmaputra Tele-Production Limited, to uplink a TV channel ‘ Channel East’ and the other is from Positive Television Private Limited to uplink two TV channels ‘Hamar TV’ and ‘HY TV” from India.

“These proposals are at various stages of scrutiny in the Ministry,” said Dasmunshi.

PTI

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