India TV fined for Scurrilous Broadcasts

Broadcast authority fines, reprimands India TV
BS Reporter / New Delhi April 10, 2009, 0:58 IST

The News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority, the self-regulatory authority created for and by television channels, has issued its first reprimand-cum-stricture.

It did so on April 6 to Rajat Sharma’s Hindi news channel, India TV. However, India TV has disputed the order and asked that it be reviewed.

The NBSDRA was created by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) last year. it commenced work in October 2008 and is chaired by J S Verma, former Chief Justice of India. And, it has told Independent News Service Pvt Ltd, the owner of India TV, to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to NBA and also carry an apology for a report it ran in December 2008.

The Authority took cognizance, on its own, of a complaint by Farhana Ali, a writer, lecturer and policy analyst residing in the US. Ali gave an interview to the news agency, Reuters, which was picked up by India TV,dubbed in Hindi and telecast on its channel. According to a press release issued by the NBA, India TV also downloaded Farhana Ali’s picture from the Internet and used it in the story, giving a false impression that the interview was given to the channel. She was called a spy of the US Government in the story which, according to her, damaged her reputation.

In its order, the Authority has recorded “strong disapproval of the acts of omission in relation to the subject broadcast made on India TV in relation to Ms Farhana Ali.” The channel has been asked to carry an apology as a ticker during prime time, within seven days of the receipt of the order.

However, when spoken to, India TV COO Rohit Bansal cited a letter the company had written to the Authority in response to its April 6 order. The letter to the NBSDRA states that the Authority does not seem to have taken into account the channel’s letter of March 31, wherein it was mentioned that complainant Ali had appreciated and accepted the clarification already aired by India TV. “It is apparent that this communication of Ms Ali stood omitted from consideration of the Authority,” Bansal said. In a formal response, India TV has also repeated its request to be given a hearing by the Authority and consideration of the clear communication of Farhan Ali before passing a final order.

The purpose of the self-regulation code of the NBA is to prevent news channels from airing content that is “malicious, biased, regressive, inaccurate, hurtful, misleading or aimed at willfully concealing a conflict of interest.” Apart from the ex-CJI, the other NBSDRA members include historian Ramachandra Guha, former Nasscom chief Kiran Karnik, sociologist Dipankar Gupta and economist and former undersecretary-general of the United Nations, Nitin Desai.

I have earlier remarked with reference to the Mumbai blasts that the electronic is a rule unto themselves.
Rs 1.0 lakhs as fine on India TV and Rajat Sharma is just peanuts considering the amount he earns in setting up sting operations and blackmailing his victims by superimposing provocative statements / pictures and broadcasting it as "Breaking News".
For whole weeks before the actual transmission of the programme he will advertise the same giving previews.
Then on the actual day, the broadcast turns out to be a damp squib.
We saw samples of his scurrilous broadcast last year when he went hammer and tongs after Sant Asharam Bapu to damage his reputation.
A case of accidental death of students in Sant Asharmji's Gurukul was converted into a deep rooted conspiracy to kill students, by Rajat Sharma.
Rajat Sharma also broadcast supposed dealings with a Oggar ( a black magic pervader) wherin Asharamji had supposedly offered money to the Oggar to kill 6 people.
The broadcasts all turned out to be false and the Oggar is now in jail.
A woman leaving her husband because of torture by her husband was converted into a case of kidnap against Sant Asharamji by Rajat Sharma.
All these items came in "Breaking News"
Such people like Rajat Sharma should have their broadcast licence cancelled.

Radheshyam