Jaipal Reddy Rules Out Entry Of Foreign Print Media

Foreign participation in print media cannot be allowed as the cabinet resolution of 1956 had opposed it, according to information & broadcasting minister S Jaipal Reddy. The broadcast bill meant to regulate the electronic medium will be introduced in Parliament this week for enactment into a law after a debate, he said in an interview with Business Standard late on Sunday.

Besides, Reddy said the issue of granting licences for direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasts had been kept in abeyance until a comprehensive law was in place. He however iterated that the government is open to all types of suggestions on the proposed law.

 

The minister stressed on the need to delink the Prasar Bharti bill from the broadcast bill as the latter needed to be updated in view of technological developments.

Taking note of the opposition of the Left Front to allowing private broadcasters to uplink from the country and licensing of DTH broadcasts, Reddy said there was enough room for arriving at a consensus.

The issue of allowing foreign participation in print medium is different from allowing the same in the electronic medium, said Reddy who doubles up as the spokesperson for Janata Dal as he dealt with a stream of calls on the refusal of Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Yadav to resign despite the move of the Central Bureau of Investigation to seek the Governor