NEW DELHI: Television news channels have made a special case for coverage of Big B‘s family matters. In a rare show of concern for protecting privacy, the Broadcast Editors Association (BEA) has called for restraint among the media for coverage of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai‘s first child.
Rai, 38, is due to give birth to her first child this month.
When contacted by indiantelevision.com, BEA VP Pankaj Pachauri denied that this had been done at the behest of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry or Amitabh Bachchan.
He said the aim of the guidelines issued by BEA is to ensure that there is no meaningless sensationalism around the story.
The guidelines say that there will be no pre-coverage of the event and the story of birth of the baby is to be run only after, and on basis of, an official announcement. The story will not run on breaking news band.
It has been stated that no camera or OB vans will be stationed at the hospital or any other location related to the story, and will go for photo opportunity or press conference only if invited.
The media will not carry any MMS, or photo of the child, or do any astrology show on this issue. The duration of any story should be around a minute/ninety seconds and there should be no astrology show associated with the dates 11.11.11. Media will not be permitted unauthorised entry into the hospital.
Meanwhile, Sr Bachchan yesterday denied in a tweet having requested the Ministry to issue guidelines to television channels for the coverage of his daughter-in-law‘s delivery.
The tweet in reply to a query by a mediaperson said: "I&B and media matter! Firstly I have no such intention ever; secondly do you really think I&B would listen to me? No way baby! But more interesting stuff coming in on this topic! Apparently media has been told by I&B to not have OB Vans outside hospitals! But wait! Yesterday a journalist from electronic sent me SMS, which indicated that this decision was from the electronic media. That news came to me via a journalist ... so someone put two and two together and made it Bachchan ... Ha ha ha !!!"
