Date:10/02/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/10/stories/2003021001430800.htm

National

Centre rules out ban on PTV

Shimla Feb. 9. The Centre today ruled out a ban on Pakistan TV or evolution of a regulatory mechanism to put any check on the visual electronic media.

``PTV has launched a campaign of hatred and calumny against India and is keen to see NDA defeated but there is no proposal to ban it'', the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, told reporters here, making a special reference to the coverage of Gujarat elections by PTV.

Mr. Prasad said the visual media should voluntarily evolve a code like that in print media and exercise restraint in reporting sensitive issues like riots, security and terrorism.

He said he was against ``moral policing'' of programmes telecast by various channels but cultural values and Indian standards of civilisation must be respected. The channels should exercise self- restraint in the choice of content of their programmes.

Some proposals regarding foreign entry in news agencies had been received by the Government but it was a ``very sensitive issue'' and would be considered keeping in view the interests of our own news agencies and the overall situation, he added.

— PTI