India Bans Arab TV Channels Under Pressure fr Israel

[katty]

more: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=75907&d=6&m=8&y=2006

India Bans Arab TV Channels Under Pressure From Israel
Shahid Raza Burney, Arab News

BOMBAY, 6 August 2006 — In a country widely referred to as the world’s largest democracy, the Indian government has succumbed to mounting Israeli pressure and ordered a nationwide ban on the broadcast of Arab television channels.

The Indian government’s ban on Arab television stations is in complete contrast to the friendship that Arab countries imagine exists with their neighbor across the Arabian Sea. It seems the ban is a move to ensure that Indians do not get to see the atrocities that are presently being committed by Israel in Lebanon and the occupied territories.

Nabila Al-Bassam, a Saudi businesswoman on a trip to Bombay, told Arab News how she became exasperated at not being able to watch Arab channels at Bombay’s leading five-star Oberoi Hotel. When she took up the issue with the hotel manager, she was told that Arab television channels had been banned across India.

[MADem]

1. Two sides to every story- Arab television channels not banned: Minister

http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/08/stories/2006080805541100.htm

NEW DELHI: The Government on Monday denied banning Arab television channels and said the reason for the disappearance of channels like Aljazeera from the air was their failure to conform to the downlinking guidelines issued in November last year. Reacting to international media reports of a ban on Arab television channels, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamad said: "There is no such ban; these reports are fantastic nonsense."

Denying a ban, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said all channels which had failed to conform to the downlinking guidelines had been taken off air. Cable operators had been instructed in May not to show any channel — downlinking into India from overseas — which had not applied for registration along with the processing fees by May 11.

Concession


While the downlinking guidelines had set a 180-day-deadline from November 11, 2005, for completion of all formalities of registration and obtaining permission for downlinking, the Ministry made a concession in May. As the deadline neared, the Ministry announced that all television channels yet to register in India could be shown by cable operators and direct-to-home (DTH) service providers after May 11 provided they had applied for registration along with the processing fees.

The downlinking guidelines mandate that "No cable operator or DTH service provider shall, after the expiry of 180 days from the date of this notification, carry or include in his cable/DTH network any television channel that has not been registered under these guidelines." But, after the concession was made, the Ministry informed cable networks and DTH platforms that they could continue to show applicant channels for another six months or till such time as the registration application is processed — whichever is earlier. ....

[peacetalksforall]

2. Can you keep us posted? If India continues to ban Arab stations then we

can demand that our corporations bring back our jobs since India is obviously not a democracy. !!!!!!!

On edit: Oh oh - I replied to the wrong message. Ban or not - tell us if Arab stations are still blocked.

[MADem]

6. It's not true

A couple of stations didn't get off their ass and do their paperwork, and they got slapped for it. They thought they could get away with the bullshit, loose business practices of yore, and it ain't happening for them. The stations that filed their paperwork in a timely manner aren't having any trouble.

And to think that banning one or two Arab stations would stop images of the war from getting through--please. Hell, half the time they SHARE video between them.

Propaganda, pure and simple. It happens. The lie travels halfway round the world while the truth is still looking for its trousers and scratching its ass in confusion... http://www.dailyindia.com/show/49178.php/No_ban_on_Arab_channels_in_India

'There were rumours that some channels have been banned but we are able to see them without any hindrance,' said Waiel Sheikh Hassan Awwad, correspondent of the Al-Arabiya channel based here.

Khalid Al-Anzi, India correspondent of the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), had a similar reaction to offer. 'India is the largest democracy in the world and the authorities would not ban the telecast of any news channel,' Al-Anzi told IANS.

'We are able to watch all the channels without any disruption and it is not true that the Indian government has banned any form of media,' he added.

Some media reports in the Gulf - which were subsequently picked up in Pakistan - suggested that New Delhi banned Arab news channels from beaming into India to purportedly stop Indians from watching the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

But Indian authorities said that a notification was issued in November last year asking all news and current affairs channels that beam their programmes to India to register themselves with the government....

[Bhaisahab]

8. even if they ban, it's not going to stop the images

several 100% indian news channels source their visuals from AL JAZEERAH and AL ARABIYA. One of the top Hindi news channels actually devotes 2 hours every night where AL JAZEERAH news is shown (with simultaneous Hindi translation).
The report's bullshit.

[AlamoDemoc]

3. You and I both know that this is complete BS

We are let to believe that every Arab cable channel had failed to conform to the "downlinking guidelines"? Gimme a break!

[MADem]

4. Well, the Portuguese have been snowed as well, then

And they're quoting Arabs who seemed to not have any trouble broadcasting their signal.

http://www.teluguportal.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9752

The Indian government Monday clarified there was no ban on any news channel based in the Middle East from telecasting its programmes in India - a fact some media representatives from the Gulf nations here confirm.

"There is no ban whatsoever. No Middle East channel is banned from beaming its programmes in India," a senior official of the information and broadcasting ministry said, responding to some media reports in the Middle East suggesting otherwise.

"There were rumours that some channels have been banned but we are able to see them without any hindrance," said Waiel Sheikh Hassan Awwad, correspondent of the Al-Arabiya channel based here.

Khalid Al-Anzi, India correspondent of the official Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), had a similar reaction to offer. "India is the largest democracy in the world and the authorities would not ban the telecast of any news channel," Al-Anzi told IANS....

Propaganda is a two-way street, doncha know.

[adriennui]

5. you and i both know that this is complete BS

is it possible they're trying to keep a lid on the islamic rabble who get riled up at the drop of a burqa (i mean hat)or have you forgotten the bombing in mumbai.

as far as you're concerned, israel is the cause of everything. so bizarre, so transparent.

[MADem]

7. Delete, my screwup. Replied to wrong post

I

[Igel]

9. This keeps going around.

It's handy as a "the all-powerful Israeli Jews are keeping down the best of communities" drivel. Not as much else.

It'll certainly be one of the grudges held against India: banning Arab stations because of anti-Arab hatred or to prevent da'wa.

On another note, the line that "Israel's allowing Hezb to keep missile launches in pockets to make sure Jews die and support continues to kill Arabs and Muslims" has gotten into the Arab media. As fact. Not as speculation; even the guy who said it has backed off from what he said, saying he meant they said it would be a smart strategy. "if that were the case", but he's not claiming anybody said Israel was actually doing it. But the Arabs now know that the Israeli government is content to have Jews die, if it means they can continue to fight Muslims.