NDTV India ordered off air for a day

Indian Information and Broadcasting Ministry has ordered NDTV’s Hindi news channel, NDTV India, to go off air for one day on November 9/10 for violating the programming code during its coverage of the Pathankot terrorist attack in January.

This is for the first time that a news channel has been penalised after the Programming Code was amended and notified by the I&B Ministry last year.

In its November 2 order, the Ministry prohibited ‘transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel for one day on any platform throughout India with effect from 00:01 hours on November 9 till 00:01 hours of November 10’. An email to the NDTV spokesperson went unanswered.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee concluded that the news channel ‘had not shown restraint, responsibility and sensitivity, and revealed strategically-sensitive details,’ while covering the Pathankot terrorist attack.

After deliberations, the Committee said, ‘Having considered that this is the first instance of violation of the newly inserted provision in the programme code,’ it recommended that a “ minimum penalty” of taking the channel off air for a day.

The Committee said NDTV India violated Rule 6 (1) (p) of the Programme Code of the Cable TV Networks Rules 1994.

The Ministry had first sent a show-cause notice to NDTV in January after it observed that the channel had given away crucial information while reporting the Pathankot terrorist attack, which was likely to be used by the terrorists themselves or their handlers to cause massive harm to national security and the life of civilians and Defence personnel.

Subjective interpretation
In its response, the channel stated that this was a case of ‘subjective interpretation’ and that its coverage was ‘entirely balanced and responsible’ and ‘conformed to the strictest norms’.

In August, an Inter-Ministerial Committee considered the matter and gave the channel’s representative an opportunity for a personal hearing.

Source: The Hindu