Govt mulls new set of awards for news channels

ENTERTAINING NEW AWARDS: TV awards have become an industry in itself.

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Keywords: Information And Broadcasting Ministry, News Channels

New Delhi: With 350 television channels already on air and another 100 at various stages of launch, it is no surprise that TV awards have become an industry in itself. And now the industry will need to make space for another statuette because the great Indian television awards space is about to get a sarkari version.

CNN-IBN has learnt that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is mulling over a proposal to introduce national television awards on the lines of the National Film Awards. The awards will be specifically for entertainment and news channels.

However, Convenor of Indian Television Awards Shashi Ranjan said, “It is no business of the state. There won’t be any credibility as there is bound to be political interference.”

There has always been enough grist for the mill. The Government’s National Film Awards has been mired in controversy, allegations of bias and jury playing favourites.

In the past, the awards have invited court cases and injunctions. Remember Raveena Tandon winning the best actress for her-not-so-impressive performance in Daman?

Or more recently the row over blocking Amitabh Bachchan's nomination for his performance in Black, which was attributed to the superstar not being on the right side of the political divide?

Favouritism has been the only consistent winner in the Government-sponsored film awards. The I&B ministry's proposed media awards will have to make fairness its credo to remove doubts about their inherent bias.

Or else people will say the Government is looking for possible dependents in an independent media.