News Broadcasting

Ofcom-based news code set for public debate

Published

19 years ago

July 7, 2007

NEW DELHI: A clear chapter on news content code based on Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, will be put up on the website of the I&B ministry in the next few days, early enough to be well debated before the FICCI seminar on the issue on 23 July.

Sources in the ministry told Indiantelevision.com, that the broad features of the news content code has been taken from Ofcom, though they clarified that “we have not bodily lifted the Ofcom regulations, but modelled it on the same principles.”

One official explained: “No regulation can be lifted form one country and cultural base and grafted on to another cultural context. So we have adjusted it according to our cultural context, but it will have the same principles, especially on accuracy and privacy and such issues.”

Does that mean it is a loose regulation that could be open to governmental interpretation and arbitrary clamp downs?

“We have said and I am reiterating that the government does not want to play the editor. But yes, there will be reasonable restrictions within the boundaries of Indian sensitivities,” officials stressed.

The code on news, though, will not be as watertight as that of Ofcom: “We have not been so rigid like Ofcom, which makes the Ofcom regulaton so bulky… we did not want that.”

The official also clarified that there will not be two separate bodies of codes, one generak and one on news. “It does not make sense, but this will be a clearly delineated chapter in the overall code.”

One of the key issues as revealed by officials arises out of the government’s concern over privacy, which had been breached, it feels, by TV channels covering court cases. Officials said that there are going to be parameters set for that.

However, officials sought to dismiss the fears that sting operations would not be allowed: “We have never said that, but there must not be intrusions into privacy and they must have a broader and larger social interest.”

Basically that means sting expose on official corruption or issues of public interest would still be allowed, so long as they do not indulge in vulgarity or invade privacy.

Officials said also that it has to be more self-regulatory because no regulator could possibly monitor the content of 300-odd channels.

“But the concerned persons need to understand that though the debate would be started soon with the code being uploaded in the MIB website, it is not something which will be put into effect in any hurry,” officials said.

The code will not come into effect unless the Broadcast Act is past and the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India is set up, which will take some time in coming.

The reason that the ministry is hurrying with the publication on the website is that on 23 July, the Ficci is organising a government-industry interface on the issue of content.

Currently, the code is awaiting the clearance of I&B minister PR Dasmunshi. As he is deeply involved with the presidential elections, the code is expected to be put on the site around 20 July, if not earlier, sources said.

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News Broadcasting

Mukesh Ambani, Larry Fink come together for CNBC-TV18 exclusive

Reliance and BlackRock chiefs map the future of investing as global capital eyes India

Published

4 days ago

February 4, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: India’s capital story takes centre stage today as Mukesh Ambani and Larry Fink sit down for a rare joint television conversation, bringing together two of the most powerful voices in global business at a moment of economic churn and opportunity.

The Reliance Industries chief and the BlackRock boss will speak with Shereen Bhan, managing editor of CNBC-TV18, in an exclusive interaction airing from 3:00 pm on February 4. The timing is deliberate. Geopolitics are tense, technology is disruptive and capital is choosier. India, meanwhile, is pitching itself as a long-term bet.

The pairing is symbolic. Reliance straddles energy transition, digital infrastructure and consumer growth in the world’s fastest-expanding major economy. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, oversees more than $14 tn in assets and sits at the nerve centre of global capital flows. When the two talk, markets tend to listen.

Fink’s appearance marks his third India visit, a signal of the country’s rising strategic weight for the Wall Street-listed firm, which carries a market value above $177 bn. His earlier 2023 trips included an October stop in New Delhi, where he met both Ambani and Narendra Modi.

India is now central to BlackRock’s expansion plans, notably through its joint venture with Jio Financial Services. Announced in July 2023, the 50:50 venture, JioBlackRock, commits up to $150 mn each from the partners to build a digital-first asset-management platform aimed at India’s swelling investor class.

The backdrop is robust. BlackRock ended 2025 with record assets under management of $14.04 tn, helped by $698 bn in net inflows, including $342 bn in the fourth quarter alone. Scale gives Fink both heft and a long lens on where money is moving.

He has been openly bullish on India. At the Saudi-US Investment Summit in Riyadh last year, Fink argued that the “fog of global uncertainty is lifting”, with capital returning to dynamic markets such as India, drawn by reforms, demographics and durable return potential.

Expect the conversation to range beyond balance sheets, into technology’s role in finance, access to capital and the mechanics of sustainable growth in a fracturing world order. For investors and policymakers alike, it is a snapshot of how big money is thinking about India.

At a time when capital is cautious and growth is contested, India wants to be the exception. When Ambani and Fink share a stage, it is less a chat and more a signal. The world’s money is still looking for its next big story, and India intends to be it.

News Broadcasting

NCP’s Sunetra Pawar to be Maharashtra’s next deputy chief minister

Published

1 week ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Sunetra Pawar, wife of the late Ajit Pawar, will take oath as Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister on Saturday, media reports say, two days after his death in a plane crash.

According to reports, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has summoned a legislature party meeting at 2pm on Saturday, where Sunetra Pawar, a Rajya Sabha member, is expected to be elected as leader. She is then likely to be sworn in as deputy chief minister at around 5pm at Raj Bhavan, as preparations are underway at the governor’s residence.

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and a veteran NCP leader, died when a chartered Learjet 45 carrying him and four others crashed near Baramati on 28 January. The aviation regulator confirmed that all on board were killed when the aircraft burst into flames during a second landing attempt.

The sudden loss of one of Maharashtra’s most experienced politicians has prompted swift consultation among NCP leaders. Party figures, including working president Praful Patel, have been involved in talks on succession and organisational continuity. Reports suggest that several senior leaders support Sunetra Pawar’s elevation, viewing it as a unifying choice at a fraught moment.

According to party allies, Sunetra Pawar may also be considered for additional responsibilities within the state government. Some sources indicate that she would oversee portfolios such as excise and sports, while the finance brief could move to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Observers see this as a pragmatic division of duties intended to balance governance and political stability.

The transition unfolds against the backdrop of wider speculation over the future of the NCP, including talks about reconciling rival factions that split in recent years. Close aides of Ajit Pawar had been exploring avenues to bring the party’s different strands back together before his death, and that conversation may now gain fresh impetus.

Ajit Pawar’s demise has left a notable vacuum in Maharashtra politics. As a long-serving deputy chief minister, he had overseen key portfolios, including finance and planning, and played a central role in the state’s coalition government. His unexpected death has triggered intense reflection among allies and critics alike on both his legacy and the path ahead.

As Maharashtra prepares for Sunetra Pawar’s swearing-in, the NCP faces its most urgent test in years: turning tragedy into cohesion and navigating a new chapter in state leadership.

News Broadcasting

Binoy Prabhakar takes charge as chief content officer at Firstpost

Published

1 week ago

January 29, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

NEW DELHI: According to media reports, Firstpost has appointed senior journalist Binoy Prabhakar as its new chief content officer, bringing seasoned editorial expertise on board as the digital news platform embarks on its next phase of growth.

Prabhakar joins from Hindustan Times, where he spent nearly three years as chief content officer, shaping editorial strategy and guiding content for a rapidly evolving digital audience.

Earlier, he served as editor at Moneycontrol and CNBCTV18.com, and spent over a decade at The Economic Times in senior editorial roles. His career also includes leadership positions at Network18, The Indian Express and The Times of India.

A fellow of the Tow Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism in New York, Prabhakar combines newsroom experience with a keen understanding of digital storytelling.

At Firstpost, he is expected to strengthen editorial depth, sharpen the platform’s voice, and drive content innovation as readers increasingly look for clarity in a crowded news landscape.