(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has welcomed the annoucement that Nepalese cable television operators have been allowed to resume broadcasts of Indian cable channels for the first time since King Gyanendra assumed full powers on 1 February 2005. However, the organisation deplored the fact that the measure excludes Nepal 1, the only Indian station concentrating on Nepalese […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has welcomed the annoucement that Nepalese cable television operators have been allowed to resume broadcasts of Indian cable channels for the first time since King Gyanendra assumed full powers on 1 February 2005. However, the organisation deplored the fact that the measure excludes Nepal 1, the only Indian station concentrating on Nepalese news.
The government took the decision to allow the resumption of Indian station broadcasts on 8 June. Cable operators received letters confirming the authorisation on 12 June, and resumed broadcasts of Aaj Tak, Star News, Zee News, Sahara, NDTV and Doordarshan at 4:00 p.m. (local time) the same day.
“This is a move towards normalisation that will add a bit of colour to what is currently a very bleak media landscape in Nepal,” RSF said, while stressing its condemnation of Nepal 1’s exclusion.
Sources said Information and Communications Minister Lokman Singh Karki personally called cable operators to stress that the ban remained in place for Nepal 1, a Nepalese station based in New Delhi.
Privately-owned and run by leading Indian journalist Nalini Singh, Nepal 1 has in the past irritated the Royal Nepalese Army with its content, especially a 2004 report about how soldiers were ambushed by Maoist rebels.
