News Broadcasting
Viewpoint: Is CAS amendment government’s attempt to muzzle TV channels?
A new scare has emerged in the television industry about the possibility of the current government controlling and muzzling the media – more specifically television through the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment 2002. The Amendment seeks to hand control of the free to air channel bouquet to the government, its pricing and its contents location wise.
According to one school of thought, the BJP-led NDA government has been reeling from a backlash from the media – more specifically channels such as Star News – which have criticised it for the manner in which it has dealt with Gujarat and the massacre of Muslims in the state. Earlier, it had also been hit by the defence related Tehelka scam and the bad media it got.
Says an observer: “It is quite likely that the government is pushing through CAS in the manner it is to serve its own agenda. Television channels are hurting its image. The government can – if a broadcaster goes against it order the cable TV operator not to carry a specific channel or carry it in an unfavourable frequency position so that very few individuals get to view it. ”
The observer asks why can’t the Indian government decide to take the same tack with the print media too. “Does the government decide the pricing of a newspaper or is it left to the publishing house,” she asks. “And why are cable TV operators complaining about TV channels hassling them? Don’t publishing houses change the pricing of their newspapers time to time? Don’t they have packages for distributors? Does the government intervene when they force newspaper distributors to carry publications as part of a package at a specific price? Why should it do so for television?
“Cable ops are excited about their getting a chance to get back at channels (through CAS) who they believe have been armtwisting them with apparently uncalled for channel subscription package increases. Broadcasters on their part have been busy fighting or backing its entry. Consumers don’t know any better.
“Most people are missing the possibility of the government muzzling the television channels,” says the observer. “Maybe it may not, but there is always the possibility it may.”
The ball is over to the Indian government to clarify its position on the issue.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group sweeps top honours at Ramnath Goenka Awards
Journalists recognised for fearless investigative and civic reporting.
MUMBAI: India Today Group just turned the Ramnath Goenka Awards into its own trophy cabinet because when your reporters dig this deep, even the judges have to award a clean sweep. India Today Group journalists have secured multiple top honours at the latest edition of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, reinforcing the network’s legacy as the gold standard of Indian journalism. The awards were conferred by vice president C. P. Radhakrishnan at a ceremony held on 27 March 2026.
Sreya Chatterjee won in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Broadcast’ category for her powerful India Today TV report ‘Operation Illegals: The Alarming Rise in Bangladeshi Infiltration Across India’s Fragile Eastern Frontier’. The investigation stood out for its depth, on-ground rigour and national relevance.
In the ‘Civic Journalism – Print/Digital’ category, Sreya Chatterjee along with Arvind Ojha were honoured for their indiatoday.in report on unregulated water extraction and the ‘Tanker Mafia’ in Delhi’s Bawana Industrial Area. The story exposed critical systemic gaps and environmental challenges affecting daily life.
Additionally, aajtak.in was recognised in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Print/Digital’ category for its hard-hitting exposé ‘The Surrogate Mother Market’, which highlighted the human, legal and ethical dimensions of the surrogacy ecosystem.
India Today Group emerged as the only network honoured in Investigative Journalism across both Print/Digital and Broadcast categories. The wins reflect the strength of its multi-platform newsroom and its unwavering commitment to credible, high-impact reporting that informs public discourse and drives accountability.
In an era when speed often trumps substance, these awards remind us that the most powerful stories are still the ones dug out with courage, told with clarity, and delivered with conscience, one fearless byline at a time.
