Enhance govt advertisement rate for news channels

Guwahati, Jan 7: Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) on Tuesday urged the state government to enhance government sponsored advertisement contributions to the Assam based satellite news channels.

EMFA also appreciated state government's decision to hike government sponsored advertisement rates for newspapers by 60 per cent over the existing rate, a statement by the EMFA said.

Assam's news channels are registered as 'free to air' channel being more dependant on advertisements for their survival and as such the government must consider improved rate of advertisements for news channels too.

Assam's news channels are registered as 'free to air' channels

News channel managements should use the enhanced fund for the benefit of their employees with structured salaries, other allowances, PF and ESI benefits, the release said. A meeting was held on January 3 between representatives of the state government and newspaper owners' association in which the government decided to hike advertisement rates with effect from January 1, 2014.

Earlier, most newspaper owners of Assam under the banner of Northeast Newspapers Society had launched a protest against the government's failure to hike its advertisement rates, blacking out government advertisements and state government related news items since December 24.

The newspaper association lifted the ban on January 3 last following the decision to hike the rates.

PTI