VOICES

Instead of putting on impractical bans you (Pramod Mahajan) better get your act together: put up powerful transmitters in the border areas, allow DD professionals, some of whom are first rate programme and news producers to do their own thing and you will get your viewers back.

A columnist in Mid-Day on information & broadcasting minister Pramod Mahajan's decision to issue a ban on Pakistan Television in India.



As far as news and current affairs go, Mr Mahajan has said that he would like DD to revert to the good old days when its primary role was to project the government. If that isn't propaganda, what is? In essence that would mean an Indian PTV, wouldn't it? God forbid.

A columnist on the PTV ban in The Indian Express.



Mahajan's solution of taking the state-owned telecaster back into the government fold and using it as a tool to educate and propagate its viewpoint is a better solution. The government - be it the BJP or the Congress (I) or any other political combo - should not pay heed to media writers or opinion builders who say that DD should not be in government hands. Remember, DD cannot and should not compete with private broadcasters. The past few years have more than proved that. Therefore, if it cannot compete, it should beat its own path.

A columnist in The Financial Express.