New Delhi, April 4: Amid the ongoing controversy over the launch of NaMo TV after the imposition of Model Code of Conduct, Tata Sky CEO Harit Nagpal issued a clarification, claiming that the channel's broadcast is not in violation of poll code as it is "not a news service". His claim is in contradiction to the tweet posted by the service provider, in which it calls NaMo TV a newly launched "Hindi news service".
The channel, at centre of the row, was launched quietly on March 31. Tata Sky users received it as a free channel, with no option to delete it. Facing questions on social media, the DTH provider said the channel cannot be deleted by users as it is free during the launch offer. Election Commission Seeks I&B Ministry’s Response on NaMo TV Launch.
Here is What Tata Sky Tweeted:
Channel no 512 is NAMO TV, it is a Hindi news service which provides the latest breaking news on national politics ^Rudra
— Tata Sky (@TataSky) March 28, 2019
Hi, this channel is added to all the subscribers as a launch offer. There is no option to delete the individual channel. However, we have made a note of your feedback and shall look into it.
— Tata Sky (@TataSky) April 4, 2019
Meanwhile, reports citing sources in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the channel must not be deemed as a news service provider, but rather an "advertising platform".
Speaking to NDTV, the Tata Sky CEO said NaMo TV does not fall into any genre. "It is not a Hindi News service. If someone in the frontline at Tata Sky has tweeted or said that it is a news service, it is a mistake," he was reported as saying.
More twists re: NaMo TV: the CEO of @TataSky tells me NaMo TV is a Special Services channel, not a regular channel. Says Tweet by @TataSky describing it as a Hindi News Service is wrong!
Says for more, ask BJP - the client.
(So at least now we know who the client is.)
— Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) April 4, 2019
The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has registered a complaint with the Election Commission, demanding the polling body to stop the broadcast of NaMo TV through cable and DTH services. The polling body has sought a response from the I&B Ministry.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2019 09:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).