With broadcasters raising the pitch against attempts at regulating them, the Government has agreed to put on hold its proposed amendments to the Cable Television Network Rules for now. Responding to a letter written by editors of all major news channels to him, the Prime Minister on Wednesday assured that no move at regulation will be rushed through.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has received several representations from the media agencies regarding certain proposed changes in the Cable Television Network Rules currently under consideration. He 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,” a statement issued by his office read.

The PM’s statement comes a day after broadcasters approached leaders across the political spectrum apprising them of the Government’s attempts at “muzzling the press” through the proposed amendments. The I&B Ministry had proposed amendments to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, to block out blood and gore, occultism, superstition and sexually explicit images, desist from dramatisation of news, drop live contact with victims and security personnel and depend on details given by an ‘authorised officer’ for coverage of operational details in war like situations.

TV editors welcomed Government’s response and said they looked forward to complete closure of this issue so that such regulation never comes into force, their statement said.

While editors of leading news channels met CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat and BJP president Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, Wednesday was a packed schedule with the broadcasters starting the day with a meeting with Samajwadi Party’s Amar Singh and ending with a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Broadcasters also met LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, RJD’s Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and BJP’s L K Advani. Karat had already shot off a letter to the PM on the issue on Wednesday.

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