Srinagar, Dec 24: A day after government lifted the ban on Short Messaging Service (SMS), Kashmir Broadcasters Association (KBA) on Friday urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to revoke the ban on airing of news bulletins on local cable channels.    
 “We appeal the Chief Minister and all concerned to kindly remember our services and allow us to operate and we will make sure that we adhere to the ethics of journalism. Please do consider that thousands of youth have been rendered jobless due to government’s decision to impose ban on news bulletins,” a spokesman of the association said in a statement.   
 Referring to the recent statement of District Magistrate Srinagar, Meraj Ahmed Kakroo, about cable operators not having the requisite license to air the news bulletins, the spokesman said,  “It seems Mr Kakroo has forgotten that we have been airing the news bulletins for past 7-years and Cable TV act allows news programs with certain program codes which we always adhere to. If we submit to Kakroo's assertion then he should make sure that cable channels in Jammu too are banned as they too don't have licenses.”
 The spokesman decried deputy commissioner’s statement that   cable channels were responsible for fueling 2010-summer unrest.  “It seems Mr Kakroo has forgotten that the valley is under disturbed area act since early nineties and this year the trouble started first with Machil fake encounter and then it worsened with the killing of Tufail Matoo. It seems DC is blaming us for these carrying these events on our news bulletins. If that is the case then all national channels and newspapers are to be blamed.”
 “We have been giving coverage to all shades of opinion even during trying times. Has the government and the people in power forgotten the 2008 assembly elections when they made a beeline at our offices for giving them airtime to woo voters, we even carried the government campaign asking the people to vote despite anti-election campaign and we did endanger our lives,” the spokesman added.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 25 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST