Gung ho as ever

IN Media Watch Briefs | 01/03/2009

The economic downturn doesn¿t seem to have dampened the enthusiasm of India¿s media entrepreneurs. The applications of 97 private satellite TV news channels for licences are being scrutinised by the information and broadcasting industry. Minister of State for I and B Anand Sharma told the Rajya Sabha on Feb 26 that 85 private satellite non-news and current affairs TV channels have also applied. (IANS)

Subscribe To The Newsletter

Media Watch Briefs

Amazon resisting voluntary censorship

The new term for self censorship is voluntary censorship, as proposed by companies like Netflix and Hotstar. ET reports that streaming video service Amazon Prime is opposing a move by its peers to adopt a voluntary censorship code in anticipation of the Indian government coming up with its own rules. Amazon is resisting because it fears that it may alienate paying subscribers.

Let the games begin

Clearly, the run to the 2019 elections is on. A journalist received a call from someone saying they were from Aajtak channel and were conducting a survey, asking whom she was going to vote for in 2019. On being told that her vote was secret, the caller assumed she wasn't going to vote for 'Modiji'. The caller, a woman, also didn't identify herself. A month or two earlier the same journalist received a call, this time from a man, asking if she was going to vote for the BSP.