Govt policies

The Tunisian Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday adopted a bill that reinforces an existing arsenal of legislation used to silence critical journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). President Ben Ali is expected to sign the bill after its anticipated approval by the Chamber of Councilors. The change is unconstitutional since it violates freedom of expression as guaranteed by...

The Zimbabwe Media Commission has decided to grant publishing licencs to The Daily News, the long-banned independent newspaper, and a handful of other publications, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Commission Chairman Godfrey Majonga announced on Wednesday that the licences would be issued immediately, marking the first time in nearly seven years that an independent daily...

The Government on Wednesday constituted a seven-member committee headed by FICCI general secretary Amit Mitra to suggest a robust television rating point (TRP) system mechanism. The committee would review the existing TRP system in India and suggest measures to bring in place an effective mechanism for a transparent TRP system in the country, the Press Trust of India has reported. It will submit...

The government is mulling over the formation of a Broadcasting Authority of India, which would address broadcast related issues, agencies have reported. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni said that, "While content regulation is a subject on which the government has been holding discussions with broadcasters, we are looking at setting up an authority for addressing issues related...

A sweeping new bill in Russia can return censorship rights to Russia’s KGB successor, the Federal Security Service, if passed, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said. Amendments to the country’s administrative code and the law on FSB activities would give the security agency the right to summon journalists for questioning and demand that editors remove articles that “aid extremists”...

A draft decree in fiji proposes to regulate media ownership and news content, while authorising the imposition of fines and prison terms for violations, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said. Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who has maintained a supposedly temporary military rule since seizing power in a 2006 coup, announced the decree shortly before a compulsory three-day meeting...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday called on the Costa Rican legislature to remove criminal defamation provisions from its penal code after a recent Supreme Court decision eliminated prison terms from its 1902 Printing Press Law. The provisions were eliminated from the Printing Press Law—known as Ley de Imprenta—which imposed prison sentences of up to 120 days for defamation in...

The information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry on Wednesday has asked 164 private channels, which were given permission to uplink before December 2005, to register for downlinking in the country. Out of the 500-odd television channels, the I&B has issued notices to 164 such channels including Aaj Tak, Zee TV, NDTV 24x7, NDTV India, NDTV Profit, Sun TV, Sahara One, CNBC-TV 18 and India TV. At a...

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday signed a decree establishing extensive control over Internet access and online content. The decree is due to take effect on July 1. Decree No 6 concerning “national Internet network improvement measures” requires that all online access devices such as computers and mobile phones be identified and registered with Internet service providers. This will...

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) on Thursday urged the Kuwaiti prime minister and parliament not to back amendments to the publications law that it said would pose a threat to freedom of the press. Parliament is due to vote in the next few days, according to the website Alqabas.com, on amendments proposed by the information minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdallah al-Sabah. “The adoption of these amendments...