News Broadcasting
Ban on surrogate ads on DD to stay, government says
Information and Broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has ruled out any change in the prevailing policy of pubcaster Doordarshan being barred from airing surrogate liquor and tobacco advertising.
The status quo situation does not augur well for the producers, affiliated to Doordarshan, who have been hard pressed to find sponsors in a shrinking advertising market in the face of increased competition from the private satellite channels.
Clarifying a point raised in the Rajya Sabha by Rajeev Shukla, a member of the Parliament elected from Uttar Pradesh on the ABLC ticket, Swaraj said, “The government cannot allow DD to air surrogate advertisements at any cost. Even if that means loss of revenue, as has been pointed out .”
According to Swaraj, the existing programming code doesn’t permit TV channels, including DD, to air surrogate liquor or tobacco ads. She added that a panel which was looking into this issue had been sending “notices to various channels” and had managed to curb the menace of surrogate ads on TV channels substantially.
“DD cannot be allowed to air such ads and if other satellite channels are still doing so, we’ll bring them in line with our programming code,” the minister said.
Shukla, a former print medium journalist and a TV anchor for serials like Zee’s Ru-ba-ru, had mentioned during the CAS debate that there was no justification for not allowing DD to air surrogate liquor ads, after putting in a statutory warning, when the satellite channels were doing so.
“Why should DD suffer on revenue front if the law is not uniform?” he had argued. But Swaraj would have nothing of that.
When Shukla raised the issue of channels vying for the huge advertising pie based on TRPs, Swaraj quipped that the implementation of CAS would solve such problems.
“After CAS is implemented, broadcasters will know exactly how many homes are receiving which channels (if the channels are pay-per-view) and it would be a sure indicator of a channel’s or a programme’s popularity,” Swaraj explained.
She also added that the CAS figures would also help advertisers who would get authentic figures instead of those bandied around by broadcasters.
So it looks like DD will have to live with Dry Days at least for a while.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
