News Broadcasting
Govt moots law on foreign newspapers
NEW DELHI: The Indian government is proposing to enact a legislation to plug loopholes in the rules and regulations related to the print medium and discourage a repeat of the International Herald Tribune episode.
The Congress-led coalition government also ruled out easing norms for printing of foreign newspapers from India, barring technical and scientific journals.
“The government does propose to bring about a legislation that that would stop people like MJ Akbar and Venkat Ram Reddy in future to take advantage and print foreign newspapers from India, ” a senior info-broad ministry representative said today.
Hyderabad-based Midram Publications has been printing and publishing IHT from India after registering the brand with the Registrar of Newspapers in India since May end — a move that has put the government in a quandary as apparently no law is being broken as existing guidelines and rules lack legal sanctity and teeth.
While IHT is printed in India by Reddy, Akbar, who also edits Asian Age newspaper, is the editor. Akbar has also threatened to take legal action against the government if pushed against the wall.
“The government is looking at strengthening its case” against the likes of IHT, the ministry representative said, indicating that over the next two-three weeks a draft legislation in this regard may be ready.
The new proposed legislation would aim at plugging loopholes in organizations like the RNI, Press Registration Bureau Act and syndication rules.
Pointing out that till now the country’s print medium sector laws had been guided by the “moral strength” of a Jawaharlal Nehru cabinet decision of 1955, which incidentally is not technically a law, the I&B ministry representative said the present government and Congress party had been against a previous government’s decision allowing 26 per cent foreign investment in the news category of the print medium.
Apart from Business Standard, which has tied up with Financial Times of London, the Times of India group too is aiming at bringing The Asian Wall Street Journal (AWSJ) to India, amongst a slew of such other projects.
As per information available, AWSJ’s Indian edition, if allowed, is to be edited by Dow Jones’ India representative and senior journalist, Suman Dubey, who also happens to be a family friend of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
