No content code for now: Ambika Soni

Saying that censorship has no place in the age of Internet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni has said she has no plan to bring the contentious content code on the "front burner" of the government's action plan.

She favoured a nodal agency which could disseminate unbiased and authentic information in times of crisis like the Nov 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks.

Within less than two months of assuming office, Soni is brimming with ideas for invigorating the I&B ministry, which include setting up a national advisory council to get feedback from eminent people.

In an interview, Soni said what she had in mind was to "put into place a National Advisory Council for I&B Ministry, as I did for the Ministry of Tourism and Culture".

The idea, the minister stressed, was to associate eminent people with impeccable credentials with the ministry. It was an "ideal way of getting a cross-sectional feedback to provide a wider range of expertise."

This would not be a statutory body but one that gave ideas and represented different sections of our people, "reflecting what they want, not just what the ministry wants," Soni said.

Soni said the contentious Broadcast Bill, which has now been hanging fire for eight years, was not a priority for her at this juncture. India is the only country which does not have a regulatory authority, she said. Most of the advanced countries have their regulators in place, she added.

"I have not taken a call on it. For the moment, my plate is full," she said.

Alluding to her recent meeting with representatives of TV channels and self-regulatory bodies like the NBA (National Broadcasting Authority) and IBF (Indian Broadcasters Federation), Soni said: "We arrived at an informal conclusion that we should sit together and arrive at some kind of guidelines for our functioning, and (establish) the 'lakshman rekhas'".

When she took over, she had found that the idea of having a content code (to regulate content) had been put on the backburner. "I will not bring it on the front burner," Soni said.

The idea of a content code was mooted after the way some sections of electronic media had reported the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai which allegedly compromised national security by beaming live the details of movements of security personnel trying to rescue hostages. The proposed code was resented and opposed by the media which saw it as a move to muzzle the freedom of the press.

As far as she was concerned, Soni stressed she wanted to ensure a free flow of information and emphasise "self regulation" and do nothing that smacked even remotely of censorship.

"People do not want curbs and censorship. In any case, what all will you censor? The Internet? We have to set standards (for programmes) which people want to watch," she said. The Prime Minister's Office had also clarified that nothing would be imposed (on the media) without broad-based discussions, she added.

"I will work for a consensus and work with the self-regulatory bodies," she explained.

Soni was broadly in favour of a nodal agency which could disseminate unbiased and authentic information in times of crisis like the Nov 26, 2008, Mumbai attacks.

"The creation of a nodal point, of someone being available in an emergency situation, be it a terrorist attack or a tsunami or whatever, was a good idea. Not to regulate but to disseminate authentic news," she said.

"I will naturally talk to the prime minister, the home minister and the foreign minister about putting into place a small nodal group which would be empowered to give authoritative news in times of an emergency," she added.

The idea of a nodal agency emanated from media representatives who had come to see Soni recently.

Soni admitted she would have to "do some spring cleaning and set priorities" in the ministry to make it "a vibrant and technologically equipped entity so that the people of India have a free flow of information and choice of entertainment".

Soni trod cautiously when quizzed about the future of Prasar Bharati, the public broadcaster. When asked whether it was time now to dispense with Prasar Bharati, as there were so many private channels to compete with the public broadcaster, Soni said: "The whole matter is under the jurisdiction of the court. When the matter is before the court, I will skirt this issue."

Did she plan to change the CEO or revamp the Prasar Bharati board, with both working at cross-purposes, and with allegations flying thick and fast against each other?

"I cannot do that. The Prasar Bharati Act is passed by parliament. For any amendment it has to go back to parliament. Besides, as I have said, the matter is before the court," said the minister.

The Delhi High Court July 17 gave a week's time to Prasar Bharati's CEO B.S. Lalli to file a response to an affidavit of its board chairman Arun Bhatnagar that includes charges of financial irregularities.

Last updated on Jul 19^th, 2009 at 13:37 pm IST--IANS