Government to ensure level playing field for all media segments: I&B minister

Minister for information and broadcasting Ambika Soni today said that the government was committed to ensuring a level playing field for different segments of the media in order to promote sustainable growth of the industry.

Inaugurating a two-day international colloquium on `Freedom of Expression and Human Rights', organised by the Press Council of India, Soni said, during the recent global recession, the print industry had grown at 6.2 per cent, bucking the global trend.

She attributed the growth to the support provided to small, medium and regional newspapers through government advertisements, which had created an enabling environment for the industry, especially the regional press.

The growing number of newspaper readers within the country was also an indicator of the growth of the regional press in different forms and dialects, Soni said.

Soni also disclosed that 653 satellite channels had been granted permission till date, while the FM Phase-III roll-out, which is expected shortly, would ensure availability of 806 radio stations across 283 cities.

The media now enjoyed instant communication as spontaneity of communication had broken the barriers of the traditional forms of information dissemination and had moved forward through different outreach tools, which created a profound impact in the shortest possible time. Accordingly, power of expression had become an inalienable right, she said.