जुर्माने से खफा इंडिया टीवी ने एनबीए से नाता तोड़ा

मुंबई हमलों के कवरेज पर सरकार और जनता के गुस्से से परेशान टीवी न्यूज चैनलों ने खुद को अनुशासित और नियंत्रित करने के लिए जो बाडी बनाई उसे नेशनल ब्राडकास्टिंग एसोसिएशन (एनबीए) का नाम दिया गया। पूर्व मुख्य न्यायाधीश जेएस वर्मा को इसका हेड बनाया गया। इस बाडी का सदस्य इंडिया टीवी भी है। पिछले दिनों इंडिया टीवी पर अमेरिकी एनालिस्ट फरहाना अली को अमेरिकी जासूस बताकर जो इंटरव्यू प्रसारित किया गया था, उसके खिलाफ फरहाना ने एनबीए में शिकायत की थी। एनबीए ने पूरे मामले की सुनवाई के बाद इंडिया टीवी को दोषी पाया और उस पर एक लाख रुपये जुर्माना लगाया और माफीनामा प्रसारित करने का आदेश दिया। इस फैसले के बारे में विस्तार से खबर भड़ास4मीडिया पर प्रकाशित हुई। अब इस मामले में ताजा डेवलपमेंट ये है कि इंडिया टीवी एनबीए से ही खफा हो गया है। उसने खुद को एनबीए से अलग करने की घोषणा कर दी है।

भड़ास4मीडिया को मिली जानकारी के अनुसार इंडिया टीवी की तरफ से एनबीए के प्रेसीडेंट जी. कृष्णन को एक पत्र लिखकर चैनल द्वारा तत्काल प्रभाव से एनबीए से अलग होने की घोषणा कर दी गई है। पत्र में लिखा गया है-

“We are compelled to notify our withdrawal from the membership of the NBA. This communication may also be kindly treated as a notice for withdrawal from the membership of the NBA with immediate effect.”

इंडिया टीवी ने एनबीए के प्रेसीडेंट जी. कृष्णन जो कि आज तक समेत कई चैनल चलाने वाली कंपनी टीवी टुडे नेटवर्क के सीईओ भी हैं, पर पक्षपातपूर्ण रवैया अपनाने का आरोप लगाया। फरहाना अली के मामले में एनबीए ने अपनी वेबसाइट पर जो आधिकारिक रूप से विज्ञप्ति जारी की है, उसका एक हिस्सा इस प्रकार है-

”The News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority under the Chairmanship of Justice (Retd.) J.S. Verma, took suo motu cognizance of a complaint made by Ms. Farhana Ali, a writer, lecturer and policy analyst, residing in USA, and issued Show Cause notice dated 18.12.08, to India TV.

The complaint related to a broadcast made on India TV in December, 08, wherein the said channel had misused the interview given by Ms. Farhana Ali to Reuters by broadcasting it on India TV and thereby misrepresenting that Ms. Farhana Ali had given such interview to India TV, which was factually incorrect, unethical and unjustified. Ms. Farhana Ali had given the interview to Reuters in the English language. But the India TV deceptively dubbed the voice in Hindi, a language Ms. Farhana Ali did not know and did not speak. India TV also downloaded Ms. Farhana Ali’s picture from the internet and used it in the story giving the false impression that she had given the interview to India TV. India TV said in its story that Ms. Farhana Ali was a spy for the United States Government, which she never was. The language used by India TV in the broadcast was damaging and placed Farhana Ali’s life in jeopardy. In its broadcast India TV exaggerated the statement made by Ms. Farhana Ali to portray her as pro-India and anti-Pakistan. Since she was born in Pakistan and had never issued any such statement, such broadcast would damage here relations with family and friends in Pakistan. Ms. Farhana Ali worked as a political analyst and India TV’s broadcast had falsified her position within the US Government.

After carefully considering the response of India TV the Authority has held that India TV has violated the News Broadcasters Association’s Principles of Self-Regulation and Specific Guidelines Covering Reportage, among other things, Privacy, Impartiality and Objectivity.

The Authority found Independent News Service Pvt. Ltd., Channel India TV, guilty of the aforesaid provisions and has passed the following directions:

(I) It records a strong “disapproval” of the acts and omissions in relation to the subject broadcast made on India TV in relation to Ms. Farhana Ali;

(II) It directs M/s Independent News Service Private Limited Channel India TV as under:

(a) To pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lac Only) to the News Broadcasters Association within 1 (one) month of receipt of this Order;;

(b) The broadcaster shall also, within 7 (seven) days of receipt of this Order, run on India TV on any one day an apology/regret as a ticker between 20:00 hrs. and 21:00 hrs., five times with a space of 12 minutes each, containing the following text:

“India TV apologizes for the story run on Ms. Farhana Ali in December, 2008 since the same was a misrepresentation of  facts. Any harm caused to Ms. Farhana Ali is regretted.”

(c) To supply to the NBA a Compact Disc containing the broadcast of such apology / regret with particulars of the time and date of broadcast ;

(III) The Authority further directs:

(a) the NBA to issue a press release within one week in this behalf and to release the same to the Press Trust of India (PTI) and the United News of India (UNI) and to other national dailies.

(b) the NBA to host the summary of these proceedings on its website and to include such summary in its next Annual Report and also inform the members of the NBA.

(c) To send to Ms. Farhana Ali a copy of this Order”.

Issued under Orders of the News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority.

Annie Joseph

For and on behalf of

News Broadcasting Standards Disputes Redressal Authority