The Hindu Business Line : Broadcasters' plea on poll ads turned down

PRIVATE broadcasters are likely to remain out of the advertising blitzkrieg planned by various political parties with both the Election Commission and the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry indicating that the existing law does not permit political parties to advertise on the electronic media.

Representatives of the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) today met the EC and the Ministry today to pitch for their case.

The I&B Secretary, Mr Pawan Chopra, today conveyed to the IBF that the Government would have to take up the issue with the EC.

Sources in the IBF said that the apex industry body would not go to court while individual members were free to take legal recourse.

Broadcasters, including TV Today, Zee Telefilms, BBC World, Star and Discovery, today met the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr T.S. Krishna Murthy, and explained the legal position of the issue.

The IBF emphasised that the reach of the electronic media is far more than that of the other media, including print media.

Further, as far as a large majority of uneducated voters are concerned, television is the only media from which they can get information about the political parties and candidates, thus enabling them to make an informed choice.

Officials said that private channels should also not be deprived of business generated from advertising by political parties.

The I&B Ministry had, last month, discussed the issue of allowing political parties to advertise on television channels with the EC and had conveyed the problems of monitoring the various channels.

"There are several news channels and local channels available across the country. It will be difficult for the Government to monitor all these channels," the officials had told the Commission.

In light of these problems, the EC had said that channels would have to adhere to the existing provisions in the Advertisement Code of the Cable Act and not allow political ads.

However, representatives of the IBF have said that in the light of the Andhra Pradesh court order of 1999 allowing such ads, parties must be permitted to advertise on private television and FM radio channels.

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