New Delhi, August 07: Akhbar Bachao Manch (ABM), a newly formed body of Small and Medium Newspapers (S&MN) has given a call to all S&MN publishers to join a ‘Protest Dharna' at Jantar Mantar on Monday against the Government's recently announced and enforced Advertisement Policy, which the ABM said is designed to hit and finish the small and medium newspapers across India while arbitrarily favoring the so called ‘Big' newspapers through its arm- the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.
The new policy has prescribed certain criteria that included, besides other conditions, stringent marks system for becoming eligible for releasing of government advertisements. The ABM complained that the criteria is favoring the big newspapers while it would choke the S&M Newspapers in India.
An office bearer of the ABM told that DAVP has earmarked 25 marks for circulation certification from ABC/RNI which the Big newspapers are getting free while no mark earmarked for circulation certified by Chartered Accountant of SMNs. It is pertinent to mention that ABC is the only autonomous tripartite body in India and across the world that is meant for credible circulation certification and entire advertising fraternity reposed trust in ABC only. The Marks eligibility of RNI cannot be taken at par with that of ABC which has foolproof and stringent criteria of certifying circulation of publications. ‘If the big newspapers have genuine circulation than why do not they go for appropriate ABC certification as RNI has neither competence nor appropriate mechanism to undertake certification process., said one of the publisher adding that more over, to certify circulation is not a statutory work of RNI under the PRB Act.
A back door of RNI circulation certification was opened for those publications who enjoyed clout in the corridor of the power and on the strength of their resources in connivance to DAVP/RNI authorities who paved way for the select few to grab the lion's share in Advertisement volume that too with higher rates.
The Advertisement Policy 2016 which the DAVP claimed to have enforced replacing the similarly arbitrary and whimsical old advertising policy has been severely criticized by media being tilted towards favorite Big newspapers many of whom have manipulated to get into Big Categaory clandistantly via back door opened by Registrar of Newspapers' of India's (RNI) circulation certification. The RNI is borne out of a central act “Press and Registration of Books Act-1867' which maintains a national register of Newspapers and periodicals being published in India in prescribed manner.
, a newly formed body of Small and Medium Newspapers (S&MN) has given a call to all S&MN publishers to join a ‘Protest Dharna’ at Jantar Mantar on Monday against DAVP Policy){kind=link}