Prasar Bharti, the pride of Indian Broadcasting agencies, has decided to end its Press Trust of India (PTI) subscription. This revelation has come out because of the alleged 'anti-national' coverage of the Indo-China War in mid-2020 by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Many people alleged Prasar Bharti covered this matter of national security very carelessly and unfairly. Prasar Bharti is now seeking a fresh new deal from all the news agencies.
PTI cancelled for its 'anti-national' reportage by Prasar Bharti: Key points
- Prasar Bharati has ended its subscription of news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) and will now invite fresh proposals from other domestic news agencies, sources said.
- PTI, the largest news agency of the country, is run by a Board comprising owners and proprietors of key newspaper groups and is a non-profit trust.
- Prasar Bharati decided to end its "current ad-hoc pro-rata arrangement for the PTI subscription" four months after it was alleged that the agency's coverage of India-China clash was unfair and not in sync with national interest.
- The national broadcaster is one of the biggest subscribers of the agency, and it pays PTI over Rs 6.75 crore annually, sources said.
- Sources said that Prasar Bharati will initiate a process of inviting fresh proposals from all the news agencies including PTI and UNI.
- A controversy broke when the national broadcaster sent a letter threatening to end its "relationship" over the alleged "anti-national" reportage by a news agency in June this year.
- PTI had carried an interview with Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, where he blamed India for the India-China violent standoff that saw 20 Indian Bravehearts getting martyred.
- Sources said a "strong letter" was sent to PTI just ahead of its Board meeting in June where the public broadcaster expressed "deep displeasure on anti-national reporting by PTI". The public broadcaster had communicated that the PTI's editorial stance makes it untenable to "continue the relationship".
Advertisement
