Govt : News channels not to air Kasab hearing clips

News channels have been asked by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to stop telecasts of the legal proceedings relating to Ajmal Amir Kasab in the wake of security concerns and the fact that the matter was sub judice. The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that such a communication was passed on by the I&B Ministry.

NBA president G Krishnan said it was, however, incorrect to say that TV channels were being called up separately in this regard, adding that the NBA itself had sent out a circular on this issue. Krishnan said the advisory had asked all member TV channels to refrain from running "any programme or news reports containing the text or details or any other similar material relating to Kasab."

The advisory also said that this would be in violation of the 'Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards and Guidelines' issued by it on 18 December in the wake of the 26 November terrorist attack in Mumbai. The advisory to the members issued by NBA Secretary general Annie Joesph also says that such programmes or news reports may be "prejudicial to national interest" or may "interfere" with the course of justice and may therefore also amount to "contempt of court."

In the Guidelines of the NBA, the News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority constituted by the NBA said television news channels should avoid any "live contact with the victims or security personnel or other technical personnel involved or the perpetrators during the course of any incident." Drawn up by Authority Chairman Justice J S Verma, the Guidelines also said "no live reporting should be made that facilitates publicity of any terrorist or militant outfit or its ideology or tends to evoke sympathy for the perpetrators or glamourises them or their cause or advances the illegal agenda or objectives of the perpetrators."

In the six-point guidelines, the Authority said the media should avoid "unnecessary repeated or continuous broadcast of archival footage that may tend to re-agitate the mind of the viewers. Archival footage, if shown, should clearly indicate 'file' and the date and time should be given where feasible."

A Indian Television news.