Please also see:
http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/08/stories/2006080805541100.htm
Arab television channels not banned: Minister
Special Correspondent
`They were only taken off the air'
NEW DELHI: The Government on Monday denied banning Arab television channels and said the reason for the disappearance of channels like Aljazeera from the air was their failure to conform to the downlinking guidelines issued in November last year. Reacting to international media reports of a ban on Arab television channels, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamad said: "There is no such ban; these reports are fantastic nonsense."
Denying a ban, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said all channels which had failed to conform to the downlinking guidelines had been taken off air. Cable operators had been instructed in May not to show any channel — downlinking into India from overseas — which had not applied for registration along with the processing fees by May 11.
Concession
While the downlinking guidelines had set a 180-day-deadline from November 11, 2005, for completion of all formalities of registration and obtaining permission for downlinking, the Ministry made a concession in May. As the deadline neared, the Ministry announced that all television channels yet to register in India could be shown by cable operators and direct-to-home (DTH) service providers after May 11 provided they had applied for registration along with the processing fees.
The downlinking guidelines mandate that "No cable operator or DTH service provider shall, after the expiry of 180 days from the date of this notification, carry or include in his cable/DTH network any television channel that has not been registered under these guidelines." But, after the concession was made, the Ministry informed cable networks and DTH platforms that they could continue to show applicant channels for another six months or till such time as the registration application is processed — whichever is earlier.
As per the downlinking policy — notified last year — all television channels beaming into India from overseas must be a company registered in India under the Indian Companies Act, 1956, irrespective of equity structure, foreign ownership or management control. The applicant company must have a net worth of Rs. 1.5 crore for downlinking one channel and Rs. 1 crore each for every other channel it wants to beam into India.
In a related development, the Communist Party of India — reacting to news reports — condemned the "ban on Arab TV stations while allowing all other channels which support Israel's aggression and horrendous acts of bombings...." Condemning "this unfriendly move" against India's Arab neighbours, the CPI demanded withdrawal of the "ban."
Also the following statement of India's ambassador to the UAE published in the Khaleej Times (http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2006/August/theuae_August295.xml§ion=theuae):
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Chandra Mohan Bhandari, Indian Ambassador to the UAE said: "India introduced a new rule in November last year in which all the foreign channels downlinking to India require a registration with the Indian government. The Indian government announced May 10 as the deadline for all the channels to register. It is the responsibility of the channels to know the rules if they wanted to air their programs to the country.'' ''The rule is universal and is applicable to all the foreign channels. It is not a rule just of Arab channels,'' Bhandari said, adding, ''the controversy was a part of an inspired attempt to spoil relations between India and the Arab world.''
On India's alleged silence on the Lebanon conflict, the press here is not in agreement. Here is just one sample:
http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?rep=2&aid=314743&sid=NAT
Facing condemnation, Israel conveys its view to India New Delhi, Aug 10: Condemned by India for using "irresponsible" force in Lebanon, Israel has conveyed to New Delhi its disagreement and insisted that its action was restrained and precisely against Hezbolloh.
"We have presented the full picture," an official of the Israeli embassy here said when asked whether Tel Aviv agrees with New Delhi that it was using "disproportionate" force in Lebanon or has conveyed its disagreement to Indian view.
He, however, refused to go into details.
Insisting that Israel's attitude while dealing with such situations is comparatively "exemplary", he said "we are trying our best to explain the situation. We have open channels with the Indian government."
The Indian government has condemned Israeli military action in Lebanon which began on July 12, terming it as "irresponsible and indiscriminate".
External Affairs Ministry said the Israeli action, triggered by abduction of three soldiers by Hezbollah, amounted to "excessive and disproportionate" use of force and called for immediate ceasefire by all sides.
Tel Aviv is understood to have told New Delhi that its action was aimed at ensuring stoppage to Hezbollah's continued attacks on civilian population in Israel.
Israel maintains that its military operation, although triggered by the abduction of soldiers, was overdue as Hezbollah had been continuously targeting its civilian population over the last years with mortar and rocket fire.
Bureau Report