PM assures broadcasters

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured news broadcasters, who have opposed moves to put restrictions on live coverage of emergency situations like the Mumbai attack, that changes in the Cable TV rules would be taken up only after "widest possible consultation" with all stakeholders.

The respite came on a day editors of major news channels lobbied hard with the political leadership to push their case for withdrawal of the proposed measures.

Following up their letter to the Prime Minister opposing any step to "regulate" the media, the editors today held separate meetings with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition L K Advani, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and Ahmad Patel, political secretary to Gandhi.

A brief statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said Singh has received several representations from the media agencies regarding the proposed changes in the Cable TV Network Rules "currently under consideration".

"The Prime Minister has assured that the matter will be taken up for finalisation only after the widest possible consultation with all the stakeholders and eliciting their different points of view on the proposed changes," it said.

During their 25-minute meeting, Gandhi assured them that she will take up the matter with the Prime Minister and that freedom of the press will not be allowed to be violated.

After concerns were voiced that the live telecast of the Mumbai strikes had helped the Pakistani terrorists, the government was mulling restrictions on live telecast of such emergency situations and permitting only "authorised feed" to telecast.