Bill should have clear provisions about public welfare advertisements

Kathmandu, Jan 31: The Socialist Press Organization has said that its attention was drawn towards the Media Council Bill.    
The Organization expressed its concern stating that the Bill prepared by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to replace the Press Council Act-2048 BS did not have a clear provision regarding the public welfare advertisements that the government provides to the media across the country on proportional basis.

    
Issuing a press statement here today, the press organization close to CPN (Unified Socialist) said, "The public welfare advertisement and money being provided by the government to the media should not be scrapped. The Organization believes that such advertisements should be provided to online media besides newspaper and radio."

    
The Organization further viewed that the State ought to assume ownership of the media houses and increase the subsidy while the media were crisis-ridden due to flagging market of advertisement. "Amid such situation, it would be wrong and improper to introduce a new law and take away the facilities being provided to the media." 

   
The Organization demanded the Newspaper Distribution Review Panel, a self-regulatory body made up of newspaper, magazine, wholesale and retail representatives responsible for overseeing the handling of retailer complaints, be made reviewed and amended ensuring that all media are incorporated.

    
Urging the concerned authority not to ignore the recommendations of the Nepali media and parliamentarians, Organization's President Bishwamani Subedi demanded with the government not to take forward the Media Council Bill.(RSS)