I&B Ministry
K. Sanjay Murthy new MIB jt secy broadcasting
NEW DELHI: There’s change at the top at India’s ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB) in Shastri Bhawan. Joint secretary (films) K. Sanjay Murthy – who was holding additional charge of the broadcasting section along with another joint secretary Mihir Kumar Singh – was officially given complete charge of broadcasting on 29 August. He has taken over the work that was being handled by R. Jaya.
As joint secretary films and he had made his mark with the initiatives he had taken which had benefited the Indian film community.
Additionally, director (films) Anshu Sinha has been promoted as joint secretary (films). Earlier reports were that she would be replacing R. Jaya in the broadcasting section.
Finally, Jayashree Mukherjee – from the Maharashtra IAS cadre – who was appointed as additional secretary mid-July has moved into her Shastri Bhawan office 20 days ago. A mild spoken lady, she replaced special secretary JS Mathur who was promoted as secretary Panchayati Raj.
Both Mukherjee and Murthy have been given charge during challenging times. The countdown for the fourth phase of DAS has begun with the sunset date being 31 December 2016. Additionally, even phase III is stuck in the analogue mode courtesy a flurry of cases which have been filed in various courts.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
