Star News to get weekly extension, others move

‘‘We cannot ask them to switch off without giving adequate time and reason. There has to be a reasoned order,’’ officials said adding the decision will be arrived at in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, a 15-member delegation representing Bennet Coleman, Living Media, NDTV, Eenadu, Sun, Sahara, Punjab Kesri and others today had a 40-minute meeting with Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. The delegation is demanding a level-playing field in the media.

The group veered to Finance Minister Jaswant Singh soon after that. This was again followed by meetings with Deputy PM L.K. Advani, Law Minister Arun Jaitley and I&B Minister Prasad.

The members demanded conformity to uplinking rules by all companies in both letter and spirit. The group, it is learnt, has requested the Government to ensure that uplinking guidelines are not flouted by companies which are shell outfits of foreign broadcasters, masquerading as 74 per cent Indian-controlled companies.

Ministry sources said Star’s proposal is under consideration and will be looked at ‘‘fairly and without any bias’’. N. Ram of The Hindu said nobody should be allowed to make a monkey of rules, while Aroon Purie of Living Media reiterated the need for a level-playing field — in short, parity of rules governing print and the electronic medium.

At the meeting with the PM, the group is learnt to have spoken of the need for a regulator for Indian media. They pointed out that in other countries Rupert Murdoch was made to comply with the law of the land and that Star News was being given ad hoc extensions in India. Among the delegation’s other demands are a level field in the tax regime and duty exemptions on equipment.