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Sushma Swaraj opens for
business
Sushma Swaraj does not cease to surprise you. The first
statement she made after taking over as I&B minister
was that she wanted TV to be programmed for the family,
and vulgarity in programmes should be curbed. She reiterated
this at the launch of Zed TV in Mumbai a fortnight later.
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Sushma Swaraj: Will she make the
cable and satellite television industry also smile?
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Yesterday
speaking at the Economic Editors' Conference in New
Delhi, she let loose a cannon. She told the scribes
that the government was relooking foreign investment
in print media - something which has been a sacred cow
for every government in power - not to be touched, not
to be relooked at since a cabinet decision was taken
in 1955 to close the doors on foreign investment in
publishing. Even her predecessor Arun Jaitley who is
seen as more of a liberal had said the sacred cow will
not be touched
"The
scenario has changed with the arrival of the Internet,"
she told the hacks. "That is why we are reconsidering
it." |
She additionally
told the journos that the group of ministers of DTH had
almost finished their deliberations and a draft was ready.
A decision of opening it up would be taken up in the next
10-15 days. Whether these are just empty promises or not
only time will tell. Previous I&B ministers have made
similar proclaimations only not to meet their commitments
because of the various pulls and pressures.
She added that while a common regulator is needed for the
information technology, communications and information and
broadcasting ministries, there is no need to merge the three
ministries into one. This would mean that she is headed
for a clash with the Fali Nariman commmittee recommendation
which is believed to have recommended that the three ministries
be merged.
Another major
development yesterday was the announcement that the entertainment
sector (including films) had been notified as an industry,
thus making it eligible to get loans from financial institutions.
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