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Chandigarh, Jan. 27: Punjab votes for a new government on Monday. But the poll verdict is a foregone conclusion on Punjabi cable news channels.
All of them have forecast a return of the “Badal sarkar”, that is, the Parkash Singh Badal-led government. Channels that follow a more “objective” line cannot be viewed on cable but only on direct to home television.
DTH subscribers are a small fraction of the total number of cable subscribers.
This mismatch in the airwave war has made the Congress and new entrant, People’s Party of Punjab (PPP), complain to the Election Commission.
The Congress has alleged that the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal controls the cable television business and forces operators to block news channels that follow an “independent” editorial policy. Of late, channels like Day and Night News and others said to be objective cannot be seen on cable.
Cable operators have apparently been blocking news channels that even hint at a close contest. The Congress has issued newspaper advertisements caricaturing the trend — a parrot wearing a tie sits in front of a camera in a TV studio repeating “Badal zindabad”.
At times, even Hindi or English news channels are blocked as was done when an interview of Congress leader Amarinder Singh was beamed recently. Any programme overly critical of the SAD-BJP government is not telecast.
Amarinder, a former chief minister, said he recently couldn’t watch an interview of his on a Delhi-based English news channel. Apparently, the channel went mute across Punjab as soon as Amarinder started to speak. The sound returned after the interview ended. “We could only see pictures,” Amarinder said.
Even campaign advertisements of the Congress and the PPP are missing on channels like PTC News and MH1. “When it comes to interviews and reactions of the common people on these channels, all sound bytes are in support of the Akalis. It is as if the entire electorate is voting SAD-BJP,” a local journalist said.
However, the Congress’s complaints to the Election Commission have rung hollow. “Amarinder’s government from 2002-2007 was as bad. It similarly controlled or favoured some cable news channels. The Akalis have gone a step further by having perfected the art of controlling the cable business,” the journalist added.
Amarinder’s government had openly patronised channels like Punjab Today and Balle Balle. The two channels, however, can no longer be seen on cable television.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, the chief minister’s son, owns the PTC Network that runs popular channels like PTC News and PTC Punjabi.
PTC has claimed that it is an objective news channel and that none from the Badal family is on the board of directors.
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