PRIVATE FM CHANNELS NOT PERMITTED
TO BROADCAST NEWS: PRASAD
LOK SABHA
The Minister of Information
and Broadcasting Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that private
FM broadcasters are not permitted to broadcast news and current
affairs. The Minister said that as per terms and conditions of
Licence Agreement Clause-7 Main Text, "the licence is for
free to air broadcast of audio on main carrier and data on sub-carrier
both excluding news and current affairs and any other services
which are under jurisdiction of Department of Telecommunication"
and Clause I (a) Section 6 of Tender Document.
Replying to a question
by Shri Sunder Lal Tiwari and Shri Satyavrat Chaturvedi in Lok
Sabha today, Shri Prasad told that a complaint from Prasar Bharati
dated 11.6.2002 was received through the CEO, Prasar Bharati regarding
broadcasting of news and current affairs on private FM channel
in Mumbai. The matter was taken up with the company, who has responded
that it had happened inadvertently and they have taken measures
to ensure that this is not repeated, the Minister said.
Shri Prasad further
said that Central Monitoring Services had been asked to monitor
the radio stations in Delhi.
Monitoring is being
done by the Ministry to ensure that the terms and conditions of
licence agreement are adhered to, Shri Prasad added.
