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Journalism of Courage
Keen to write a new chapter for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, Union Minister Jaipal Reddy started where he left six years ago.
The year, 1997, when he had scripted the Broadcasting Bill which talked of an independent broadcasting regulatory authority, which Reddy he said he will take up immediately. ‘‘An independent regulator will be set up as quickly as possible,’’ Reddy said.
Modelled loosely on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US, the proposed Bill had envisaged an independent regulator for the media six years ago. The shape and structure of the authority, Reddy said, will be discussed in the coming days.
On the previous Government’s excessive obsession with moral policing, Reddy said it is not the job of the Government to do so. ‘‘I am no libertine but I am a liberal and feel such decisions are best left to elders and educational institutions,’’ Reddy said.
Reddy’s next mission, unfinished one at that, will be to restore autonomy to the Prasar Bharati Corporation.
Reddy admitted it was inspired by the BBC model and it would be his endeavour to make it as autonomous as possible. As for changes in Prasar Bharati Corporation, Reddy said a change in mindset was more important than changes in personnel.
On contentious issues like CAS, Reddy said these would be examined.
