New Delhi: Government on Monday said it has no
policy in place for disallowing reasonable air-time access to
religious organisations on private television and radio
channels.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting C M
Jatua said though TRAI has not allowed religious bodies in
broadcasting activities or have their own broadcasting
stations, private FM radio channels and television channels
are free to determine their programmes, provided it is in
compliance with relevant programme and advertisement codes of
the government.
As per government policy, a company controlled by or
associated with a religious body is disqualified from seeking
FM radio permissions, Jatua told the Rajya Sabha in a written
reply.
The minister in reply to another question said in the
print media sector, the operation of foreign news agencies
in India is governed by a Cabinet decision of 1956, which says
that communication facilities can be granted only where the
distribution of news within the country is to be effected
through an Indian news agency, owned and managed by Indians.
Bureau Report
