ZEE TV GETS STAY ON SAHARA SMEAR CAMPAIGN

The Zee Network has managed to get a stay order from a city court in Agra against the Sahara group restraining it from publishing any derogatory or defamatory articles against the former in its Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara. This is a counter to the suit filed against the Zee Network by the Sahara group preventing it from carrying any defamatory programming against it on its channels.

The two have been waging a war with each other in the media. Zee TV carried a report on the non-banking finance sector, which has been going through a rough time, on Z India TV. During the course of the program, a reference was made to the Sahara group, which runs one of the largest non-banking finance companies in India, and its promoter Subrata Roy.

The Sahara group took objection to this saying that Zee TV is indulging in a campaign to malign its name as it fears competition from the satellite TV service it is poised to launch by 26 January next year.

(Sahara had earlier taken over Home TV, a channel floated by Pearson TV, TVB Carlton Communications and The Hindustan Times group. Home TV is to be get a new avatar as Sahara TV.)

The Sahara group approached a court seeking a stay on the Zee Network preventing it from airing any derogatory reports. It also sought Rs 500 million in damages from Zee. The court granted an injunction against the leading Indian private satellite TV service to Sahara.

Zee Network officials state that they are not interested in any compensation from the Sahara group. "What we want is a permanent stay against the Sahara group from carrying any reports against us," says a spokesperson.