mediaharsha

By Harsha Man Maharjan A discussion is in the town in media sector: political parties are owning FM radios. Is this a new phenomenon? No. These parties are publishing weekly papers. They lack readers. Their health is poor. Now what will happen to these FM radios? Will they become the propaganda tools of parties? Only future can tell. The Kathmandu Post published a news about the political parties owning forty FM radios in Nepal. This news started discussion this issue. I think FM radios be they community and commercial are mostly elite-captured in Nepal. And political parties leaders are elites in there hometown. Besides this, it is easy to get FM radio licenses with their political clout. It is difficult to find community in community radios in Nepal. TKP’s news introduces Rishi Raj Lumsali as a UML leader and brands his Shuklaphanta FM, Kanchanpur as UML FM radio. But he told me that he has left politics and wants to remain independent. He even named TKP’s journalism as ‘yellow journ...

By Harsha Man Maharjan People were waiting with abated breath on 7 November 2007 at Martin Chautari discussion hall. What they only knew was some one was playing the role of prime minister of Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala and BBC World Service Trust was supposed to this. Friends at MC had hoped for a simulation of parliament. Later during the program Narayan Shrestha, radio journalist who left Radio Sagarmatha for the BBC World Service Trust, told us that they were taking interview with the PM after few days and they were rehearsing that interview at MC. Copy Editor Sharad Chandra Wasti acted as the PM. Shrestha and Sushil Sharma, journalist related to BBC Nepali Service were grilling the PM. In radio jargon they were recording a dummy copy of the program, Sajha Sawal. BBC World Service Trust will air this program and UNDP supported it. Trust is going to air radio programs targeting Constituent Assembly. During the program organizer requested s to question the PM. They aired recorded qu...

Some called him Nepali Daniel Pal. He is Birendra Shah, a journalist killed by Maoist cadres. He was kidnapped on 5 October 2007 and killed on the same day. I never meet him. There is a chance. I might have heard his words on Nepal FM without knowing him. He was affiliated to Nepal FM, Avenues TV, Dristi weekly etc. Now it is clear that Maoist cadre was involved in Shah’s killing. Earlier the CPN (Maoist) had denied their involvement in the incident. Now all fact finding missions tell that Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, Kundan Faujdar , Ram Yekbal Sahani etc are responsible for shah’s killing. Chadhari was Maoist Area In-charge of Bara District. Other alleged people are also well known Maoist supporters. But Maoist top leaders are requesting not to take this accident as party’s policy and not to malign the party with this incident. This reminds me of Nagarkot incident of 14 December 2007. On that day a drunken army Basu Dev Thapa deputed at Nagarkot army barrack opened fired on the civilians a...

BY Harsha Man Maharjan It was not supposed to end like this. I had pinned hope on this. Hope that it would come up with ways of restructuring state media in Nepal. Nepali government formed a task force to materialize suggestions of High Level Media suggestion Commission about state media in December 2006. It was supposed to present its report to government in two months. And it has already handed its report to the government. There was no mention about this in media. The government has not made it public. When I asked about the report, Dhurba Hari Adhikari, a member of the task force informed me that the task force handed its report in his absence. He requested me to call Ministry of Information and communications.. There telephones always remained busy. So I called Badri Bahadur Karki, task force’s chair. Karki informed me that he handed its report in Asar that means about three months ago. He even requested me to knock the door of ministry of information and communication. Why this k...

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By Harsha Man Maharjan We know this week there are tussles going on between Kantipur Publication Pvt. Ltd. and All Nepal Communication, Printing and Publications Workers’ Union (ANCPPWU). Agitating members of ANCPPWU even vandalized vehicles of publication’s management and press when the publication showed no concern to reinstate its nine suspended members. Many media related organizations, political parties etc condemned ANCPPWU for disrupting activities of newspapers and vandalism. They equate these activities to attack on ‘press freedom ‘and people’s ‘right to information’. These loaded words helped media to eclipse demands of agitating workers. Actually the media have not told their audiences what the demands were. Most of audiences know nothing about the demands. Thus there reporting on the incidents are one-sided. There are few exceptions. Government-owned media have presented some parts of demand this time. It is said the ANCPPWU presented 22 point demands to the publication. An...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Kantipur TV gave priority to a speech by Salikram Jamakattel on 1 October 2007 in its evening news. He was speaking near Kantipur complex after the publication suspended 9 agitating workers and the agitating workers’ vandalized publications’ vehicles and press. In a footage he was saying Nepali people would lose nothing in absence of Kantipur Publication’s publications and Kantipur TV. He even challenged to stop KTV in four days and to physically attack owners if workers’ demands are not met. The news highlighted other parts of his speech too. But it ignored other important parts. Students of Journalism and mass communication might raise questions: Are you mad? How all information of a speech can be incorporated in a news?They might doubt I am a student of mass communication and journalism. This issue is far complicated than what we think. It is not a question of editing. This becomes clear to me after I listened to Sarad K.C’s reporting on the same speech. He ev...

By Sage Radachowsky and Harsha Man Maharjan Sage Radachowsky of Boston, USA created the website, INSN and manages the technical aspects, as well as doing a lot of the editorial work and some original reporting. Here is an unedited interview Harsha: Hope. INSN got new life after hiatus of few months? Sage: I think the change in the political situation may be causing renewed interest in INSN activity, including the website. Perhaps the lull in the process has been broken, with the CPN (M) pulling out of the government.In my personal life, I have been focusing on getting my life in order, and doing my carpentry. I have been dealing with personal life issues, which took all my time, and I could not continue spending time on the website. There were several other people helping greatly with the website, but not all of the time. There was also nobody coming forward to be a Nepali editor, and because I am not fluent, I could not edit or approve articles in Nepali.There will be an INSN meetin...

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 18 September 2007 CPN (Maoist) quit the government. On the same day people saw a sample issue of daily Janadisha which supports CPN(Maoist). The sample issue was supposed to be free. But bookshop owner asked me Rs. 5. He told me that it was for transportation he used to get papers. I gave him the money. In the place it has written 7. This daily was found in market until the government declared state of emergency on 26 Novemnber 2001. Journalists related The Janadesh Weekly, the Janadisha Daily and also the Disabodh Monthly etc supporting CPN(Maoist) were imprisoned. Human rights organizations claim that its editor Krishan Sen was killed in police custody. Now Govinda Acharya is its editor. This sample issue contains vacancies for reporters at Kathmandu and other districts. It is supposed to come on this week. Hope this paper will go for peaceful movement and dialogue. links on Krishna Sen and Janadisha http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2002/18313.htm http:/...

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 16 september I got chance to watch Robert Greenwald‘s documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism. So far as I know this documentary is unavailable in Nepali market. Michael Moore’s documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 that came in same year, 2004, is easy to find in different video parlors here. I must thank Saphala for providing me the documentary. Recently she returned from the US. And she brought it into Nepal. It was BBC TV’s program Talking Movies that informed me about the documentary. I wanted to watch it on the same day. Talking Movies informed me that that the documentary unveils one-sided news of Fox news channel. It opposed Clinton government and supported Bush government. In the documentary, Greenwald and his team have found certain techniques that Fox TV uses like conservative experts. Other way is to dominate and humiliate speakers. I have seen no news and talk host in Nepal who humiliate their speakers. But it is the rule in Fox TV. I...

By Harsha Man Maharjan For few days there is no BBC World service in 103 Mhz. I came to know about this yesterday. After Maoist quit the government I was searching authentic voice of CPN (Maoist). I tuned 103 Mhz in my mobile phone and I was surprised to find Radio Nepal in place of BBC world service. On 19 September 2007 Khagendra Nepali, former BBC Nepali Service Head was the guest lecture in our class. During the interaction he informed us that it might be a technical problem. According to BBC's website BBC Nepal service can be heard through following FM radio: Radio Sagarmatha 102.4 FM in Kathmandu; Radio Kalika 95.2 FM in Bharatpur, Chitwan; Radio Birgunj 99 FM in Birgunj; Radio Annapurna 93.4 FM in Pokhara; Radio Himchuli 92.2 FM in Pokhara; Radio Lumbini 96.8 FM in Manigram; Butwal FM 94.4 in Butwal; Radio Saptakoshi 90 FM in Itahari and Radio Bheri 106.4 FM in Surkhet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/keyfacts/stories/ws_langs_nepali.shtml

By Harsha Man Maharjan At last INSN is ALIVE. Hope it was a power nap. After many months of hiatus it got life. Congrats INSN. This website played important role after Feb 1 2005 coup. The coup compelled INSN to change its course. It was suppose to focus on foreign relations of Nepal. It is the first website to post Usha Titichhu's photo of army controlling the station of Radio Sagarmatha.on Feb 1 2005. It gave space to post dissenting voices. We still need INSN. There is still long way to go. Pls visit the website and send your comments, articles. It contains articles by Maheswor Shrestha. Thanks to him and team of this website. http://insn.org/?p=4357 http://insn.org/?p=4358

By Harsha Man Maharjan Live ‘exclusive’ of Sagarmatha Television on the occasion of serial bomb blasts in three palaces of Kathmandu on 02 August 2007 reminded me of the title of Kevin William’s book Get Me Murder a Day. This book presents history of mass communication in Britain.“Get Me a Murder a Day: the Northcliffe Revolution and the Rise of the Popular Press” is the title of its chapter 3. This chapter tells how sensational newspaper and magazine started in late 19th century and early 20th century in Britain. Like print media in Britain at that time, Sagarmatha TV presented the bomb blast incident in sensational way. It showed raw footage of blast at Tripureshow that was captured just few minutes after the blast. That footage was terrifying. People were thrown here and there. There was a charred (?) person who seemed to be killed at the spot. Sagarmatha TV telecasted this unedited footage naming it a rare footage which only the TV channel had. This is the first incident that Saga...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Today I visited Bhrikuti Pustak tatha Masalanda Bhandar, a book shop near Ratna Rajya Campus at Kathmandu. I bought few books for Martin Chautari Media Documentation Centre. There I saw Douglas Kellner 's Media Spectacle. I asked its price. I had already bought it from Mandala Book Point on Nepalese Rs. 1904 few days ago. Actually my interest was to know the price of the book. I know this shop keeps high rate for foreign books. What they do is check internet and put the price accordingly. Could you believe the price a guy in Bhrikuti told me ? It is Nepali Rs. 2975. I had discussed about this issue with Anjan Shrestha, owner of Educational Book House, few months before. He was aware of Bhrikuti's behaviour. He told me that generally his rule is to put price according to what he has paid for books. That means Bhrikuti is placing high price for foreign books. It is unfair. If you don't believe about this, please check price of a foreign (not indian) pub...

By Harsha Man Maharjan I am still not satisfied with government’s agreement to scrap 4 percent royalty. I see no reason to do this. These operators are run for profit. Government has rights to impose royalty on these cables. Article 11 of The National Broadcasting Regulation, 2052 (1995) demands 4 percent royalty of income from broadcasting institutions. These institutions include both private radios, private TV and cable operators . I have Kriti Cable Network at my home. It is transmitting a channel called Kriti Cable Network(KCN) and is showing music videos. The National Broadcasting Regulation, 2052 (1995) does not bar them from transmitting educational programs. They are not doing this. The Nepal Cable TV Association is right: a separate law is needed to be framed for governing the cable sector. But the government has even accepted to reduce the renewal fees. Before providing these kinds of facilities to the cable operators, government must oblige them to broadcast educational and ...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Few weeks ago I called Kumar Bhattarai. He is the guy who got licenses to operate radio at nine places: Nepalgunj, Kaski, Parsa, Chitwan, Sindhupalchwok, Dipayal, Dhankuta, Humla, Mustang. The licenses are awarded in the name of Nobel Broadcasting Centre Private Ltd. I want to know the reason for this. During my conversation with him, he told me that he is an engineer and a business. And he has every right to own these numbers of radios. He scolded me for not showing this much of commonsense, even being a student of journalism and mass communication. I replied him that air wave is not for sale. I told this to him but I know it is state's responsibility to check this. http://dxersguide.blogspot.com/2005/12/first-list-of-companies-qualifying-for.html http://www.moic.gov.np/pdf_files/fm_details_list.pdf

By Harsha Man Maharjan Many people came to know about Birendra Dahal's Fast to death from Kantipur, a Nepali daily. We are told by Kantipur and other media that Birendra started his fast to death on 12 August 2007. And he would only end this fasting till the Maoists give written commitment not to interfere and attack Nepali media. HBC FM was closed on 7 August 2007. Kantipur highlighted this episode with photos. More than this, this incident was alleged to be political. Other newspapers introduced him as the manager of the HBC FM. Actually in his press release he had given no designation. Kantipur TV even broadcasted visual of Harihar Dahal supporting another Dahal. Birendra's fast to death is going on. But the Joint Movement Committee of HBC FM on Tuesday revealed that it is Birendra himself who closed FM station from its tower at Halchowk on August 7. According to Amrit Kharel of Ganatantrik Radiokarmi Munch, Brindra, did this when media persons of HBC demanded to increase th...

By Harsha Man Maharjan New media houses help in breaking dominance of established media houses. Two new tv channels: Avenues and Sagarmatha have started its telecast in Nepali. They are opening new avenues for journalists to show their talent. I don't know much about Avenues. But I have heard a rumour about Sagarmatha TV that this channel only recruits reporters is new and fresh faces only to give them small amount of remuneration. Most of them are working for Rupees less than three thousand only. One of my friends applied for a reporter in the tv channel. She has passed B.A. in mass communication and journalism. The management of the channel did not summon her for even an interview. Now it has recruited 20 reporters. No doubt most of them are underpaid. Now organizations working for the welfare of media persons must think over the issue. In the report, The Changing Nature of Work: A Global Survey and Case Study of Atypical Work in the Media Industry, prepared ILO and IFJ present ...

These days dalies in Nepal are criticizing CPN (Maoist ) for opening trade union in media houses. Articles and editorials on the issues are in media. They think these unions are for checking criticism of CPN (Maoist) in these media houses. This is only a part of the issue. We know media workers in Nepali media are in poor condition. These unions help in collective bargaining of the workers in these media. But these media houses are showing no will to empower their workers. And they are criticizing these unions for their political affiliation. Now it is time to think about the welfare of media workers in Nepal and to evaluate the role of Federation of Nepalese Journalists and other trade unions. http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/359/Headline/13772 http://www.nepalitimes.com/issue/354/Headline/13647

By Harsha Man Maharjan There is a good news. Avenues TV began its testing broadcasting on 16 July 2007. It is a news channel of Ad avenues Nepal, an ad agency. Many people presented their well wishes to the tv channel. Among them, Pashupati Shumsher Rana hoped that it will be popular like Aaj Tak in India. Is this good wish? I know Aaj Tak is the no 1 news channel in India. But it has a problem. Like other channels there, it focuses on tamasha or trifle issues. Hope Avenues tv will not go for it. Babu Ram Bhattari thinks it is better to counter some channels who serve few people. He didn't name them. I think he was pointing fingers at Kantipur TV. Is he right ? Well I really don't have the answer.

By Harsha Man Maharjan This is time of SLC result. And the festival of + 2. Every newspaper is full of advertisements of these colleges. Today's The Himalayan Times (16 July 2007) published supplement of eight pages devoting these colleges. Magazines are not exception. Himal Khabar Patrika , a Nepali fortnightly magazine of year 17 vol.6 (no. 188) has earmarked about 40 pages on +2 as special report. It contain about 20 advertorials of 20 colleges. Samaya , a weekly magazine did same in its no. 164. It has published 23page cover story on +2s. It included about 7 advertorials and some features which were similar to advertorials. Getting advertisement of colleges is good for media sector. I know this is time for these media to earn money. Is it good for readers? This question arises. Going through the content of these media related to +2 businesses in Nepal, I must say they are critical to unhealthy competition and jhuth ko kheeti or crop of falsehood being done by these colleges th...

By Harsha Man Maharjan College of Journalism and Mass Communication began its radio, CJMC Community Radio 106 on Asar 14 2064 (28 June 2007). Principal and Director of The College of Journalism and Mass Communication of the college informed me that that cost Rs, 8,00,000. According to her the college invested whole money. It is on air in 106.00 MHz. It has capacity of 100 watt. When will Ratna Rajya begin its radio? I know this campus too had got license to air TU FM 107 of 50 watt. And it got the license about one month earlier than CJMC. Theoretically it is easy for Government College to start radio. We even have a sound proof studio. I have entered the studio few times during practical classes. But the campus is using it sparsely. Badri Poudel of the RR College informed me that the department is doing nothing on the issue. He thinks for radio operation requires new studio and he and his colleagues are discussing about the issue. I know the pathetic condition of the college. Financia...

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 11 June 2007, I was surprised to see Nepali daily Kantipur in eight pages only. Its sisterly paper The Kathmandu Post, was in black & white. The kantipur publication shrouded a big incident in the publication in the name of technical problem. Next both newspapers had news on their management letting All Nepal Communication, Press and Publications Workers' Association (ANCPPWA) to open its unit in the publication. Actually slim Kantipur and B/W The Kathmandu Post are the result of ANCPPWA's pressure to let them open it's unit in the publication. Now similar issue has cropped on in the Kamana Prakashan. This prakashan out sources Customers Solution Pvt Limited to hawk its publications. Now these hawkers affialiated to ANCPPWA wants to open a unit in the Kamana Prakashan. Pushkar Lal of the Kamana Prakashan denied their rights and closed the publication for few days. He blames the agitating hawkers for doing politics in the Prakashan and diluting ...

By Harsha Man Maharjan My friends at college today were discussing about the return of Sushil Kharel. He left Masters class of Journalism and mass communication to work in Nepal 1 tv channel. I search for this issue in google. I came upon a blog: Solidarity with Nepal1 fight: It has two postings: 1. Nalini's Torture Forced Eight Journalists Displaced from Delhi 2. Get Up Stand Up ...Stand Up for your Right About the blog, it says this: "This blog has been created to express solidarity with all the Nepal One staffs who have dared to stand up and fight against the tyrrany and atrocities of Nepal One management...the struggle initiated by the nepal one staffs was exemplerary and a milestone in protecting the fundamental rights of television journalists ...Kudos to all the Nepal one staffs..." According to the blog, Nepal 1 forced eights jopurnalists: Rajendra khanal, Chiranjivi Devkota, Divyajoyti Misra, Pradip Giri, Sushil Kharel, Lily Bhaidya, Madhu Bhattarai and Aarati KC...

By Harsha Man Maharjan I was amazed to a book name Arresting God in Nepal in the yesterday's news in Kantipur Television. It was the second time. It named this way in previous news few days before too. Actually the name of the book is Arresting God in Kathmandu. How did those mistakes take place? The news even informed that 11th Book fair lasted for 10 days. It is 8 days only.

By Harsha Man Maharjan At last on 5 June 2007 Minister of Communication and Information, Krishna Bahadur Mahara has has done two political appointments: Om Sharma as executive chairman of the Gorkhapatra Corporation and Rishi Raj Baral as chairman of the Nepal Television Corporation. It shows that the CPN (Maoist) want to toe the line of other political parties. Even in past political parties misused government owned media when they were in power and demanded for autonomy when they were in opposition. I can only hope that Mohara will not regret for what he did today when he will be in opposition. It would have been better if chairpersons are from the same corporations who know all activities of the corporation. We should not forget the appointment in NTV of writer Benju Sharma. Many staffs in NTV experienced hardship in dealing with her.

By Harsha Man Maharjan We have a phrase: stale as yesterday's news. It seems that Gorkhaptra, government owned Nepali newspaper does not know this. On June 3, 2007 it has published news with the headline 'Kukur Biralo' in Market on second page. Kukur Biralo is an audio cassette produced by Subash Regmi. The news only has information on the producer and singers. It has no extra information . Actually this is the cassette singer Badri Pangeni and his colleagues are lobbying with government to ban. They think it demean the folk singers. But news says nothing about this. The news appears to be a public relations materials. How could journalist who did that news forget this kind of important aspects? This incident helps to know the process of news making. Generally there must be personal contacts to get coverage in media. It definitely shows laziness of some reporters in Gorkhapatra.

By Harsha Man Maharjan I usually contact Dhurba Hari Adhikary, journalist to know more about some media issues. He is a member in the task force to restructure government media. This task force has not presented its report. I call him to know about the present state of the task force. He requested me to call Kiran Shrestha of Ministry of Information and communications. Earlier Raghu Mainali told me that the task force is not working and government is not in position to stop meddling in these media. Few weeks before Kantipur daily made a news related to new recruitment of the CPN (Maoist) supporting journalists in Radio Nepal and TV. Tej Prakash Pandit of Gorkhpatra Corporation has stopped visiting Gorkhaptra and there is information that the CPN (Maoist) has proposed Rishiraj Baral in place of Benju Sharma in NTV. But Kiran Shrestha informed that they are preparing draft of the report. Hope this time, government will pave a way to make these media really autonomous.

By Harsha Man Maharjan Rakta Kunda is a novel which depicts Nepalese Royal family in negative way. Many people can’t say whether the fact it presented is accurate or not. Khagendra Bhattarai, owner of Pairavi Book is sole distributor of the book. He informed me that the book has been published in 50,000 nos. It is Khagendra dai who informed me on 11 Magh 2063(25 Jan 2007) that he was publishing a color advertisement of the book in the front page of next day’s Kantipur. He requested me to read the ad. He was publishing the ad of Rs. 62,000.00 through Spectrum Advertising and Media consultant. Next day the ad did not appear in the newspaper. I thought some thing might have happened. When I met Khagendra dai after few months I asked about the ad. I could not believe what he told me. On 11 Magh he was sure of the ad till 9 pm. At 9 pm Marketing Department of Kantipur Publication informed Bhattaria and ad agency that management had decided not to run the ad. Bhattari still has the returne...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Have you notice an advertisement about the eleventh Nepal Education & Book Fair 2007 in Kantipur daily? This is a regular program of Global Exposition & Management Services (P) Ltd. (GEMS) is organizing this event. Last year it published advertorials many days before the event. This year it is not doing this. Santosh Chhetri of GEMS told me that last year book shops about which he could not provide advertorials were not happy with him. Ruskin Bond, writer is inaugurating the event. The book exhibition will begin from 1-9 June 2007. Pls visit my last year's posting on the book fair. http://mediaharsha.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-less-media-coverage-of-nepal.html More on Ruskin Bond: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruskin_Bond

Below are old questions Shubraj Shilpakar provided me. Tribhuvan University 2060 Master Level/II Year/ Humanities Full Marks: 100 Nepalese Media System and Journalism (JMC. 515) Group "A" (Long- answer Questions 1. Describe the national and international conditions in which print , audio and audio–visual media have emerged in Nepal. 2. What are the objectives of National Communication Policy, 2049 B.S. ? Why policy interventions does it make achieve these objectives? 3. Give a brief account of media regulation system in Nepal. How do you evaluate the implementation aspects of Nepalese media regulations? 4. "Nepal has made big achievements in community radio broadcasting." Do you agree? Group "B" 5. How do production houses and broadcasting stations differ from each other? 6. What are the different kinds of broadcasting services functioning in Nepal? 7. What is the role of private sector in the development of films in Nepal? 8. Explain the present status ...

By Harsha Man Maharjan I believe that people who have not studied journalism from Proficiency Level have rights to study Journalism and Mass Communication in Masters Level. This is happening in two colleges in Nepal: Kantipur City College and College of Mass Communication and Journalism. It is not happening in R R College. I think specialists need to think over Nepali journalism and mass communication. Here I am giving an example of Working Journalists Act 2051 v.s.(1995) Ramesh Badal is a lawyer having specialization in Labour issues. His interpretation of the genesis of Working Journalist Act of Nepal was new to me. I studied the act minutely many times but I could not discern the issues as he did. He was speaking in a media discussion series organized by Martin Chautari on 24 May 2007. Its topic was Issues Related to Working Journalists in Electronic Media. He thinks it was a blunder of Nepali journalism sector to deny to entertain Labour Act in 1990s. At that time in Nepal trade u...

Harsha Man Maharjan There is a rumor going on in the town these days about the Gorkhapatra Sasthan(G.S.): It is on the verge of collapse. A friend in my college informed me that the Sasthan lacks news print, and Workers related to CPN (Maoist) are stopping Pandit from entring the Sasthan. Its director, Tej Prakash Pundit is on leave for few weeks. Former Communication Minister Dilendra Badu appointed Pundit in the post. Badu is related to Nepali Congress. Now Krishna Bahadur Mohara is Communication Minister. And he has no good relation with Pandit. Now it is time to think about the political appointment in government-owned media houses. Usually these are the big posts and they get change as soon as there is a change in the government. On the one side we are saying that government should provide independence to these media institutions. On the other side we are seeing political appointments. I have not figure about way out this. Only I know is government should not interfere in these ...

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 26 April 2007 (16 Baisakh 2064 v.s ), Kantipur, a Nepali broadsheet daily did a scoop on Rayamajhi Ayog. It has byline by Bal Krishna Basnet. He got Rayamajhi Commission’s report form a source. The government has kept this report secret after members of the commission submitted the report. On that day I praised Kantipur for the scoop. I think every Nepali has right to know what is written in the commission’s report. It is a public property. So as the government was not making it public, I think it is kantipur’s responsibility to publish the report. I hoped that kantipur will not lag behind on this matter. What I remembered on that day was Pentagon papers of America. American government kept secret Pentagon papers related to its involvement in Vietnam War Few newspapers got the papers. When they published the papers in different parts the government ordered to stop publishing the papers and the case went to court. And the court gave verdict on the favour of new...

By Harsha Man Maharjan There is a saying: winners write history. Do you believe this? I am trying to link this notion with history channel, a tv channel. It broadcasts programs related to different aspects of history. This is one of my favorite channels. Among its program I like Biography. This program even got chance to be the top ten programs in India few years ago. Its old footage attracts me. How charmingly these programs use steel photos to tell people’s stories. I can only praise the channel for this. Few weeks ago my belief in the channel shattered. On that day it presented a program on four world famous royal massacres. I forgot details of two of them. Remaining two was about the Tsar family of the USSR and the family of King Birendra. I could hardly believe what the program told about the royal massacre of Nepal. It blamed then prince Dipendra for the massacre. We all know this was the official version, only few Nepali believed. My hope at that time was to get information on g...

By Harsha Man Maharjan People blame Nepal Army for its weak public relations. This scenario is changing these days. People of Pili, Kalikot are thankful to the army for building a road. It seems that these people will never forget the army’s contribution. The road will make their life easy. There is no doubt. Here my concern is on another thing. These days my exam is going on and I am immersed in it. I had hardly time for other activities. Yet I managed time to watch a talk program of Kantipur TV, Bahas during my exam. On April 21, 2007 I was surprised to see a documentary on the bravery of the Nepal Army, I place of Bahas. I was a wee bit late and missed the beginning part. I didn’t know the reason of this. Even earlier some times other programs took Bahas’s place. The documentary was about the army’s ability to construct road. All people were praising the army’s deed. Rukmanga Kattuwal was doing the same. While watching the program, I thought that it might be the footage of Kantipur...

Friends My exam is going on. I might not post for few weeks. harsha

THe Himalayan Times' Craze for the word 'Stop Press' By Harsha Man Maharjan Being a student of Journalism and mass communication I know what the words stop press mean. THese days a English braodsheet daily, The Himalayan Times is using this words in its front page giving scores of games in World Cup Criket. Is this word to be put in the page? I don't think so. So I search in internet to know more aboutit. Here is what I found its meaning 'late news that is inserted into the newspaper at the last minute'. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stop+press. By using this word THT is trying to show that it is doing the job which is out of the dateline. Yet, million dollar question is: Is it needed to write the word there ? Many readers blame THT for focussing only on factual information. It never did investigative reporting, except the breaking news of Charles Shobraj. It never dare to challenge any side. This is a typical example of 'objective journalism.' I am ...

By Harsha Man Mahrajan Once my friend told me that business community is mainly responsible for the present mismanagement in Nepal. And media are silent on this issue. Yes it is this community which supported royal regime, and all political parties depend on them as economic source. Their money is never made transparent. So my friend liked Manoj Bhandarkar’s film Page Three for showing the negative impact of advertisers in media. On 19 March 2007 The Kathmandu Post daily published an news about hotelier Hari Shrestha being abducted and beaten by the Maoists for supporting king. On the same day Nepali day Kantipur wrote that the Maoists did this for he denied to provide donation of 20,00,000.00 Nepali rupee. The news also informed the Maoist forced him to do written commitment to provide Rs 1,00,000,00.00 and provide 10 rooms for CPN(Maoist) free of cost and not to inform about this to police. The news was placed on the first page with a photo of Shrestha with his bruised face. Both ne...

By Harsha Man Maharjan A saying goes better late than never but better never late. We are making late in establishing a broadcasting authority. Now we are in chaos. At last Information and Communication Ministry has decided to stop registering applications of new FM radio stations in Kathmandu. Nepal Samacharpatra informed this on 11 March 2007. This is good news. We still lack an authentic institution to evaluate the applications. After April revolution of 2006, the ministry opened the process of providing license. And now it has provided licenses to 177 radio stations. Can you believe 37 of them are in Kathmandu? Can they survive? It seems that ministry has to do nothing with their survival. In lack of this authority Kantipur publication has got license to air 5 more FM radios in Birgunj, Nepalgunj, Bharatpur, Pokhara and Butwal. In Nepal National Communication Policy 2049 v.s opened broadcasting sector to private sector. It did not propose the authority to manage and evaluate applic...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Is there the campaign of Media Literacy in Nepal? Do you heard about this in Nepal? Media literacy tells citizens about the socio-political and economic aspects of media products. It makes citizens aware of media construction of reality and makes them aware of both good and bad aspects of mass media. Nepali government never paid interest in this kind of campaign. Academic education of Journalism and Mass Media began in 2033 v.s. In the late years of 1980s king Mahendra was experimenting with his so-called one party democracy. No need to doubt that that time the government kept citizens from real facts by bombarding them by government propaganda. Mainstream media were in the control of the government. There was no chance of beginning media literacy in Nepal at that time. Non Government organizations were not powerful at that time. Government sector has not started this campaign even today. There is only an example from Ngo side. Asmita publication organized media...

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 2 March 2007 Ministry of Information and Communication arranged a meeting with media experts on the future structure of state media in Nepal. www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=13742 Government has formed a High-level Taskforce on Restructuring and Autonomy of Government Media on December 2006. The team includes Badri Bahadur Karki (Coordinator), Kunda Dixit, Dhurba Hari Adhikari, Nirmala Sharma, Tej Prakash Pundit, Ram Sharan Karki, Madan Kumar Sharma, Jaya Sankar Mahato etc. It has a mandate to make a report o the issue in two months. There is no doubt that government is going to extend its time. It is also calling politicians about the issue. Actually these people are important. Only their will works. Acts of Gorkhapatra Prakashan, Rastriya Samachar Samiti have compelled government to make their share available to their workers and general people. As I wrote in my previous posting governments have never shown their courage to do so. Even media policies...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Here media politics has nothing to do with political parties. What I say media politics is the politics of main media organizations in Nepal. My focus is to know which media issues they give emphasis and which they neglect. I am sharing my experience of going through news cutting we have in Martin Chautari Media Documentation Centre ( http://www.martinchautri.org.np/ ) We have news cutting on different media issues. I tried to figure out the volume of articles and news according to subjects: State Media, Working Journalists., Foreign Direct Investment in Media and Media Monopoly. Cuttings on the welfare of working journalists were the lest among the four. This is the subject on which journalists related organizations conducted seminars in five star hotels. How journalists could voice their grievances in their own media. They even can not publish their grievances and problem in others’ newspapers. We know that media sector flourished in Nepal after 1990. But the c...

By Harsha Man Maharjan Zade said this in her blog on Feb 19 2007: Happy PraJaTanTra DiWas!! Nothing really. Its just a great day, the sun’s shining ah but again everyone’s after the King’s “Baktabya”. But well, let me not talk of things I have no expertise on..So Happy Prajatantra Diwas Everyone! And For bloggers, I wish this Freedom of Expression Last for ever and ever!! And my day began with this day..So enjoy!! http://zade.wordpress.com/ I don't know how to answer her. I want to write more about Falgun 7. So here is my experience and idea about Falgun 7. I have celebrated many Falgun 7 as Democracy days. Nepal celebrated 57th Democracy day on 19 February 2007. During my school days I used to praise King Tribhuwan for fleeing Delhi, sacrificing his happiness and supporting the Anti-Rana movement. I saw nothing wrong to declare him the father of Democray or Rastrapita or Father of the country. blah.blah. I got this impression from text books on history I read in my school. My holi...