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Tag: Dasmunsi

  • Dasmunsi weighs in to NewsX fracas

    Dasmunsi weighs in to NewsX fracas

    NEW DELHI: Reiterating that the government would not interfere in the internal affairs or administraton of any media house or television channel, information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today appealed to all media channels that contractual obligations relating to employees on contract shoud be honoured and valued.

    In a statement after a meeting with a delegation of senior and eminent electronic media journalists and news editors of the NewsX channel, he said, “Whenever any media personnel is engaged on some contract, their contractual terms should be valued and honoured including the financial clauses.”

    Meanwhile, he referred the matter to the concerned desk of the finance ministry to ascertain the facts through their investigation wing relating to the source of channel funding as he said that he was “not competent to react” to the issue.

    The employees explained about the injustice and what they described as “the shocking treatment” being meted out to them by the security staff and other persons who were later sacked.

    The minister refused to interfere keeping in view the independence and autonomy of the media. But he opined that the manner in which the eminent editors have been treated and the rights of media personnel reportedly infringed upon is really a matter of great concern for free and fair journalism in the country.

    He said if the contractual obligatons are not honoured, the “hire-and-fire mechanism shall not provide honour and confidence to the engaged media personnel in the country, wherever they may be.”

    Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the executive director Avirook Sen, it has been stated that a 24-year old producer named Kailash Menon had been summoned to the basement of the NewsX headquarters and intimidated into signing a prepared resignation letter. No grounds for removal were offered, the statement says.

    Sen says when he confronted the four people who intimidated the producer into signing a false statement, he was called to the basement and threatened by four persons from the HR department with criminal action if he did not resign.

    They also said that if he refused to resign they could issue a termination letter. He claims that he was manhandled by security guards while this letter was being prepared. They sought to forcibly take his laptop and also took the keys of his car from the driver, while preventing other staff entering his chamber.

    “I am challenging my dismissal legally. But what is most shocking is how INX treats senior journalists. Yesterday’s incident is unprecedented in the history of Indian journalism,” he said in the statement.

    However, INX Media dubs the circumstances pertaining to Sen’s termination as “rumours in the media circles.”

    An official statement said, “We would like to state that the company was forced to summarily terminate Sen’s services because he was found to be utilizing his office laptop to access pornographic content on the internet. This is violative of company policy besides being illegal as per the law of the land. Consequently, Sen’s employment agreement was terminated.”

  • Cabinet clears decks for must provide law

    Cabinet clears decks for must provide law

    NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet today approved the promulgation of an ordinance making it compulsory for private broadcasters to share the feed of sporting events of national importance (read cricket) with the public broadcaster.

    The move comes in the wake of the refusal by India cricket rights holder Nimbus to share the live feed of recently held matches with national broadcaster Doordarshan.

    Additionally, a Bill will be introduced in the coming Session of Parliament to replace the ordinance by an Act of Parliament.

    “The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Ordinance, 2007 will make it obligatory on every content right owner and TV and Radio broadcasting service provider to share the live telecast signals without its advertisement, for such sporting events as may be prescribed by the Central Government, with the public service broadcasters on such terms and conditions as may be specified,” a posting on the government’s Press Information Bureau website says.

    “This Ordinance would provide access to the largest number of listeners and viewers, on a free to air basis, of sporting events of national importance whether held in India or abroad,” it adds.

    At a briefing this evening, information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi expressed the hope that the ordinance would be notified before the start of the coming India-Sri Lanka series on 8 February, newswire Press Trust of India has reported.

    Nimbus, while welcoming the approval of the ordinance, has threatened to go to court if it would mean telecasting feed on DD’s DTH platform, PTI adds.

    An expert committee has been set up in the I&B ministry to look into the issue of encryption, an official told indiantelevision.com.

    This will have to be sent to the law ministry and their approval procured so that it becomes water tight and face little legal and political challenge, in the court or in Parliament itself, from opposition benches, the official said.

    The Downlinking Guidelines of the government will form the body of the ordinance, though the words will be framed in the form of a statute.

    Sources said that the wording as such is ready and Dasmunsi, who had been incensed with Nimbus getting away with the live telecast of the current ODI series without sharing its live feed with DD, had been the trigger.

    Dasmunsi, however, had to wait to place this with the cabinet and seek its formal announcement. This is what the cabinet today decided: that now there is no option but to go for the harsh measure of promulgating an ordinance.

    The government’s decision will ensure viewers in non-cable houses and radio listeners would receive live feed of Indian team’s one-day matches, wherever it plays. However, for test matches, the government has said live feed would be required only for those matches played in India and highlights would do for the others.

    As a sop to private broadcasters, Dasmunsi has said a technical committee would look into the matter of encrypting the signals being telecast by Doordarshan, which would ensure that the feed is not pirated by broadcasters outside India.

    Earlier in the day, government officials present at the inauguration of the three-day Broadcast Engineering Society Expo 2007 in the capital had told indiantelevision.com that the ministry had come precariously close even earlier to issuing an ordinance ensuring live feed for cricket events in India involving the national team.

    “I think it is because of the court case and ruling on seven minutes delay that the legal experts suggested we don’t go against the ruling, but bring in the bill and settle the issue for once and all, but the anger in the ministry is huge,” a senior official had revealed at the time, naturally asking not to be quoted.

    Giving a not so subtle threat to “broadcasters for not falling in line”, he suggested that this would mean that the minister and the officials may not make it easy for whoever has been hoping for a less ‘draconian’ broadcasting bill.

  • Broadcasting Bill to be fair and open: Dasmunsi

    Broadcasting Bill to be fair and open: Dasmunsi

    NEW DELHI: “Investors in the broadcast sector must realise that the government’s policy is open, and when the (broadcasting) bill is ready, the world will see and realise this,” said information and broadcasting minister PR Dasmunsi at the inauguration of the three-day Broadcast Engineering Society Expo 2007 today.

    Dasmunsi said, “There is a huge potential for development of broadcasting in India and we have a lot of advanced technologies available with us. What we need to have is proper selection of technologies suiting our requirements.”
    I&B secretary SK Arora, in his remarks said that in devising a regulatory framework, the interest of the consumer is foremost in government’s mind. The business models have to suit the large number of our consumers. Policy framework and the business models have to be in sync to cater to the consumer interest, he added.

    Sharing with his audience the excitement of living in this amazing age of broadcasting revolution, he stressed nevertheless that the government would ensure a level playing field for all, and more than that, not allow most of the consumers to be deprived of the benefits of technology. Prices need to be controlled to keep them affordable.

    “We must allow full play of technology, business and management to take shape successfully,” he said, adding, “the regulatory regime is crucial for the success of innovative ideas and products.”

    He had a critique of the government sector too, which, he said, lacked management skills. “The public sector must realise the commercial aspects, and be acutely conscious of working out systems to facilitate innovations and business models to become successful,” Arora held.

    He stressed that the core philosophy of the government was simple: the consumer. “Everyone must keep this in mind,” he added for good measure.

    Prasar Bharati’s experience in introducing newer technologies (TV, FM radio, DTH, now digitalisation and mobile TV) has helped develop the regulatory environment.

    “We have depended on the technological expertise of Prasar Bharati while designing the regulatory regime,” he explained.

    He felt that though the regulatory framework must have adequate provision for segmentation and exploitation of the market by investors, the business models they develop must be appropriate and new technology is carried to the people at affordable prices.

    The inauguration ceremony also saw BES president AS Guin, David Astley, secretary general of AsiaPacific Broadcasting Union, and Roger Crumpton, CEO of International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers address the more than 300 persons attending the function.

    ‘BROADCASTING MULTI-FACETED, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL’

    In his keynote address, Crumpton said that broadcasting is not only a multifaceted affair, as the title for this year’s Expo suggested, but a multidimensional one, in which the engineering challenges were just huge.

    Especially in India, he added, explaining that whereas only 19 per cent of the people in the US and 20 per cent in the UK were under 15, the figure is 35 per cent for India, and with this population the multiplicity of platforms is not important: content is everything.

    “It does not matter on what platform they are accessing it, but they want it where and when they choose and what they choose. This is the young demographics we are dealing with, which is cash-positive and time-negative,” Crumpton said.

    What was important in his speech was that he made presentations of when the first TV sets came and then the first colour TV sets came and it all seemed to people like him, and these are the people who are having to design technologies and content, so this aging generation of experts need to be in synch with the young demographics facing them.

    The challenge is that for this generation, there must be a clear agenda for creation and delivery of content, which will be constantly repurposed in real time, a situation where broadcasting will face this problem. Because there is a paradigm shift from tapes-based programming to file-based one, he explained.

    “There has to be a radical shift,” Crumpton argued, “for training, qualifying and accreditation systems.”

    And he saw a huge opportunity for India. He says this paradigm shift, combined with an ageing skilled workforce in the West has already started creating problems of skill shortages in the globally $11 billion broadcasting market, which is also facing revenue streaming threats from telecom and IPTV.

  • Dasmunsi reiterates govt resolve on B’cast Bill

    Dasmunsi reiterates govt resolve on B’cast Bill

    NEW DELHI: A draft Broadcasting Bill may have been put in the backburner for the time being, but the government is determined to bring in regulation for the broadcast industry.

    Pointing out that allegations of intrusion of privacy of individuals and other such issues are taken up by an autonomous Press Council of India for the print medium, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today said, “In so far, as electronic media are concerned, such a specific code has not been formulated.”

    That’s why the government is considering a Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill in consultation with other ministries, the minister informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) today.

    Dasmunsi’s ministry, which had earlier proposed to bring in the broadcast Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, has not yet listed it amongst the business that the House would undertake during this session lasting till end-August.

    However, the I&B minister, who has been blowing hot and cold over the proposed Broadcast Bill, did admit in Parliament today “a need has also been felt to consult the media in the matter.”

    This makes it amply clear that the government had failed to take the industry stakeholders into confidence while drafting a note for the Cabinet’s consideration on the issue and has been forced to soften its stand on the face of stiff media opposition to some draconian clauses proposed.

    According to Dasmunsi, a committee has been set up to formulate a programme code based upon the concept of self-regulation by TV channels.

    While making his point on the need to regulate the electronic medium in the country, Dasmunsi scored a few points when answering to queries from his fellow parliamentarians.

    To a question on government show cause to TV channels, Dasmunsi said 190 such notices have been issued to different television channels for violation of Programme and Advertising Codes during the period 2004-06 till date.

    The break up of number of channels against whom it was established a breach of Programme and Advertising Codes has Orders for setting up of monitoring committees for private television channels at the State and District levels was issued in September 2005 and the order for constitution of an inter-ministerial committee to take cognizance suo-motu or look into the specific complaints regarding violations of the Programme Code and Advertising Code, as defined in Rule 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 was issued in April 2005.

    Government has asked States to constitute monitoring committees at district levels to monitor private satellite and local cable channels to detect and look into the violation of Programme and Advertising Code, according to the minister.

    As far as content monitoring is concerned, the Indian government is serious about the whole thing.

    Dasmunsi said the government proposes to set an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) for content monitoring of private television channels and to check violations of programme and advertisement codes.

    The total cost of the project is Rs 116.5 million out of which RS 29 million has already been released.

    Another tranche of RS 58 million has been allocated under Annual Plan 2006-07 for the purpose.

    As of now, EMMC project is underway on a temporary basis in Pushpa Vihar area in Delhi and is likely to be commissioned in a full-fledged manner 2007, subject to availability of funds and other infrastructural requirements.

    However, Dasmunsi said that the ministry of urban development has been requested to give a permanent piece of real estate in the Capital for the EMMC project.

    (RS 47= 1US$)NEW DELHI: A draft Broadcasting Bill may have been put in the backburner for the time being, but the government is determined to bring in regulation for the broadcast industry.

    Pointing out that allegations of intrusion of privacy of individuals and other such issues are taken up by an autonomous Press Council of India for the print medium, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today said, “In so far, as electronic media are concerned, such a specific code has not been formulated.”

    That’s why the government is considering a Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill in consultation with other ministries, the minister informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) today.

    Dasmunsi’s ministry, which had earlier proposed to bring in the broadcast Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, has not yet listed it amongst the business that the House would undertake during this session lasting till end-August.

    However, the I&B minister, who has been blowing hot and cold over the proposed Broadcast Bill, did admit in Parliament today “a need has also been felt to consult the media in the matter.”

    This makes it amply clear that the government had failed to take the industry stakeholders into confidence while drafting a note for the Cabinet’s consideration on the issue and has been forced to soften its stand on the face of stiff media opposition to some draconian clauses proposed.

    According to Dasmunsi, a committee has been set up to formulate a programme code based upon the concept of self-regulation by TV channels.

    While making his point on the need to regulate the electronic medium in the country, Dasmunsi scored a few points when answering to queries from his fellow parliamentarians.

    To a question on government show cause to TV channels, Dasmunsi said 190 such notices have been issued to different television channels for violation of Programme and Advertising Codes during the period 2004-06 till date.

    The break up of number of channels against whom it was established a breach of Programme and Advertising Codes has Orders for setting up of monitoring committees for private television channels at the State and District levels was issued in September 2005 and the order for constitution of an inter-ministerial committee to take cognizance suo-motu or look into the specific complaints regarding violations of the Programme Code and Advertising Code, as defined in Rule 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 was issued in April 2005.

    Government has asked States to constitute monitoring committees at district levels to monitor private satellite and local cable channels to detect and look into the violation of Programme and Advertising Code, according to the minister.

    As far as content monitoring is concerned, the Indian government is serious about the whole thing.

    Dasmunsi said the government proposes to set an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) for content monitoring of private television channels and to check violations of programme and advertisement codes.

    The total cost of the project is Rs 116.5 million out of which RS 29 million has already been released.

    Another tranche of RS 58 million has been allocated under Annual Plan 2006-07 for the purpose.

    As of now, EMMC project is underway on a temporary basis in Pushpa Vihar area in Delhi and is likely to be commissioned in a full-fledged manner 2007, subject to availability of funds and other infrastructural requirements.

    However, Dasmunsi said that the ministry of urban development has been requested to give a permanent piece of real estate in the Capital for the EMMC project.

    (RS 47= 1US$)

  • I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    NEW DELHI: You can kiss the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill 2006 – a draft of which is doing the rounds of various ministries and industry stakeholders these days – goodbye, Well, almost.

    “Whenever I bring a Bill to Parliament, it’d be the most media-friendly legislation in the whole world,” information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today said, hinting that the draft is likely to go undergo major revamp.

    Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Cabinet briefing, Dasmunsi added that proper consultation with various stake holders would be held before draft legislation is taken to the Union Cabinet or Parliament.

    Asked by indiantelevision.com whether the Broadcast Bill 2006 would be tabled in Parliament during the forthcoming monsoon session, the minister said the endeavour be so “after holding discussions with everybody.”

    “Our effort and endeavour would be to do so during this session and if that does not happen, then we’ll see in the next session. We would not do anything to gag the media,” Dasmunsi explained, making it clear that the government has taken serious view of the all round stringent criticism of a draft media legislation.

    The monsoon session of Parliament begins on 24 July and there seems little time left to hold proper discussions with the industry on the Bill, which has been drafted surreptiously and left the players stumped when unraveled by a section of the media.

    Making an overt bid to keep in good humour the media, which came in for praise from the Cabinet today for its sensitive coverage of the serial Mumbai blasts earlier this week, Dasmunsi said, “All fears (of broadcast industry) will be removed.”

    Proposals on cross media restrictions, powers bestowed on authorities to take action against the media and TV channels on the flimsiest of grounds, content censorship (which is being drafted separately, but could be made part of this Bill or legislation at a later stage) are aimed at strangling the media and cripple business models in the name of safety against monopolistic trends.

    The proposed autonomous Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai) has been given powers in the Bill that permit it to run amok if interpreted incorrectly by it. What’s more, Brai’s chief executive would be a serving government official of additional secretary’s rank, drawing a salary from the government.

  • Draft Broadcast Bill: Big brother wants to do more than just watch

    Draft Broadcast Bill: Big brother wants to do more than just watch

    The draft broadcast regulations that the government is trying to put in place has its merits and demerits, but what is shocking is the way the lawmakers are going about the whole thing, most of which is shrouded in secrecy.

    That the draft Broadcasting Services Regulation Bill 2006, doing the rounds of ministries for feedback, is restrictive — to put it mildly — and draconian in parts is a story itself. But what is a bigger story is an attempt by the Congress-led coalition government to steamroll legislation through without taking industry stakeholders and others into confidence, thus making a mockery of democratic norms.

    It is a calculated effort to muzzle the media in general and incapacitate the electronic medium, which has its own powers because of the impact of visuals, in particular.
    _____****_____

    The attempt of the information and broadcasting ministry to quietly draft regulations for the Cabinet’s consideration, while denying at the same time that anything of that sort even exists, amplifies that the blustering of I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi is not all gas. It is a calculated effort to muzzle the media in general and incapacitate the electronic medium, which has its own powers because of the impact of visuals, in particular.

    Cross media restrictions, powers bestowed on authorities to take action against the media and TV channels on the flimsiest of grounds, content censorship (which is being drafted separately, but could be made part of this Bill or legislation at a later stage) are all aimed at strangling the media.

    What make things scary is that the proposed autonomous Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai) has been given powers that permit it to run amok if interpreted incorrectly by it. Especially when Brai’s chief executive would be a serving government official of additional secretary’s rank, drawing a salary from the government and, naturally, having allegiance to the government.

    The flip side is that not all the clauses in the draft Broadcast Bill 2006 are new. Some of them do exist in some form or other in the Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act and other pieces of media legislation. References to cross media restrictions were made in the Broadcast Bill of 1997 too. And remember that never got past a joint parliamentary committee set up to examine it after being tabled in Parliament.

    The 1997 Bill stated that a person or a company will be allowed to hold licences in only one of the following category of services: Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting, Terrestrial Television Broadcasting, Satellite Television or Radio Broadcasting, DTH Broadcasting, Local Delivery Services and any other category of services, which may be notified by the Central government.

    In 1997, restriction of monopolies was more targeted towards newspaper houses. The Bill then had said that no proprietor of a newspaper will either be a participant with “more than 20 per cent interest in or control a body corporate, which is the holder of a licence to provide a licensed service under this Act.”

    Without criticizing a government’s right to make a law, what needs to be seen in a broader context is the way that right is used in a democratic setup.
    _____****_____

    This time round, the government has allowed interest in various segments of the media business, but capped them so low that effective concentration of power is totally neutralised to the extent of threatening to destroy various business models.

    Without criticizing a government’s right to make a law, what needs to be seen in a broader context is the way that right is used in a democratic setup.

    If we examine the draft of the content regulation, prepared by a sub-panel of a 30-member committee overseen by I&B secretary SK Arora, it hints at stringent content regulation, particularly for news channels. If okayed by lawmakers in its present state, it could well be the end of sting operations and coverage of issues where high profile politicians and personalities are involved.

    Sample this part: “TV channels must not use material relating to a person’s personal or private affairs or which invades an individual’s privacy unless there is an identifiable public interest reason for the material to be broadcast.”

    Who decides what constitutes an individual’s privacy? The government or the regulator? What this means of course is that it’s all up for interpretation.

    It is this scope for interpretation that is the most fearful aspect of this bill. More so since the onus of proving identifiable public interest lies with the TV channel and not the other way round.

    Additionally, the flat-footedness of the media industry and lack of consensus on important issues amongst the various stakeholders is incomprehensible, to say the least. The surprise that the draft Broadcast Bill 2006 — even if it’s an early draft for argument’s sake — has sprung on the TV industry, shows that people have been caught napping. Or, the industry thought the government was just talking gas.

    Either way, Delhi seems to be having the last laugh. Hang on, maybe not yet. There may still be some time left for saner voices in the government to stand up.

    But for that to happen, the media industry needs to project a united stand. Something like what was demonstrated when the Rajiv Gandhi government in 1988 had attempted to bring in a piece of legislation to muzzle the media. It took weeks of concerted opposition from Indian journalists to scupper an initiative to revise the law on defamation. It may be recalled that the government had rushed the Defamation Bill through the lower house of Parliament in August of that year.

    When we last commented on the ramifications of the Broadcast Bill, we expressed the view that there is a feeling of déj? vu that it may be another exercise in futility.

    It could well be in the industry’s collective interest to ensure that the draconian aspects of the Broadcast Bill suffer the same fate as the Defamation Bill of 1988.

    There are several ways of voicing their grievances and making sure that the industry voice reaches the powers-that-be. Indiantelevision.com believes it can function as a forum for debate, and would love to have comments from various constituents of the industry on the Broadcast Bill 2006.

    Send in your mails to editor@indiantelevision.com. And let’s work towards building a more robust television sector – keeping in mind the government, the industry and foremost of all, the consumer.

  • Dasmunsi threatens action against news channel over sting op

    Dasmunsi threatens action against news channel over sting op

    NEW DELHI: Politicians of all hues are coming round to the view that hidden cameras and “peeping tom” journalists need to be gagged.

    This was evident when information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, proposing action against a news channel on an operation relating to cash-for-residential space by elected members of Parliament, termed journalists as lowly paid people who carry out stings for nominal fees.

    Commenting caustically on private TV channels’ sting operations, Dasmunsi said ”Ye do paise mei reporter rakhte hai, chaar paise ka kaam karate hai aur aath paise mei story bech dete hain (They recruit a reporter for two paise [for a sting operation], get work of four paise from him / her and then sell the material off for eight paise to a channel for telecast)”.

    The minister was replying to a question raised in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) by a fellow parliamentarian on a sting operation by a TV channel yesterday. Dasmunsi said the whole operation was meant only to increase ratings to enhance the channel’s business, United News of India has reported.

    A TV channel yesterday aired a sting operation wherein it showed official residences of ministers and Members of Parliament being rented out to servants and others.
    The Bharatiya Janata party MP who raised the issue asked whether those who conducted the sting had taken permission from the House (sic!).

    ”Whatever was shown by a TV channel yesterday has lowered the prestige of the sovereign Parliament and belittled the elected representatives in the eyes of the people,” BJP MP Gangwar was quoted by UNI as having said in Parliament.

    The sting operation showed occupants of the servant quarters’ of some MPs and ministers residences admitting that they were paying monthly rent ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500.

    Dasmunsi, while referring to sting operations, said these private channels were more interested in sensationalism and fooling the people into believing what they telecast.

    The minister, while not revealing the course of action his ministry was planning, assured the House that ”by this afternoon something will come against such harakiri.”

  • Music industry loses 50% share due to piracy: Dasmunsi

    Music industry loses 50% share due to piracy: Dasmunsi

    MUMBAI: The vicious wave of piracy continues to eat into the revenues of the Indian music industry. According to information and broadcasting minister P R Dasmunsi, the Indian music industry has lost 50 per cent of its share between 1999-2004 primarily due to piracy.

    However, Dasmunsi assured that several steps have been taken and will be taken in the future by the government to curb piracy.

    According to a report by PTI, the Indian Music Industry (IMI) pegs the size of the industry at Rs 5 billion in 2004 as compared to Rs 10 billion in 1999.

    Dwelling also on the much talked about issue of CAS (conditional access system) in the Lok Sabha today, Dasmunsi further said that the government has held meetings with broadcasters, cable operators, consumer organisations and other stake holders with regard to the implementation of the CAS.

    “There was a broad consensus that nine-month time is required to take preparatory steps and to implement CAS smoothly and as such no exact time-frame can be indicated,” he was reported as saying.

  • Dasmunsi launches Zee News director Laxmi Goel’s book ‘Pehal’

    Dasmunsi launches Zee News director Laxmi Goel’s book ‘Pehal’

    NEW DELHI: You cannot fault Zee News for not trying. Ratings, or the lack of it, notwithstanding.

    I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, along with Zee News director and author of the book Laxmi N. Goel, after unveiling `Pehal’ And the fact was also noted by information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi yesterday when he said here, “I wish more news channels would follow Zee News’ examples of showing programmes that are not always aimed at garnering ratings, but aimed at highlighting life beyond politicians, sting and page three.”

    Speaking at a the launch of a book Pehal, which has been inspired by a programme of the same name on Zee News, Dasmunsi took a light-hearted dig at television channels, which are “running after TRPs” and have forgotten their social responsibilities.

    Former Zee News anchor Nidhi Kulpati, who has joined NDTV India, with Dish TV business head Jawahar Goel at the post-launch party Zee News director Laxmi N. Goel, who has authored Pehal that carries a chapter each on the big difference made in the society by small unknown people from various parts of the country, said, “I am really moved by the efforts of these ordinary people who are really leading extraordinary lives.”

    He added, “They deserve more in their lives. This book should really be reaching out to every corner of the nation and inspire our citizens to help the cause within their own limitations and, if possible, to open a new front to provide a solution to the problems persisting in their immediate environment.”

    Among the channel’s socially motivated programmes, Goel said Pehal has acquired a unique place because of its larger than life tales of true humanity.

    Forty of those who featured in the programme and the book were also honoured with a plaque at the Friday event, which was attended by many prominent people of Delhi.