mediaharsha

By Harsha Man Maharjan There is no heaven for journalists, activists, dissidents. Democracy demand toleration of criticism. Criticism paves ways for improvement. What about authoritarian countries like Saudi Arab. Saudi government has been detaining a blogger Fouad Alfarhan on 10 December 2007. His crime was to post information about Saudi academics who were detained with charges of funding ‘terrorism’. According to report Saudi government is interrogating him for “doing campaign for these detained academic”. Saudi bloggers and bloggers from world are condemning Saudi government. It is right time we think about Nepali bloggers’ welfare too. Any time any group can threat Nepali bloggers for their posting. I might be unaware to threats some Nepali bloggers had faced. Those who blog disclosing identity are vulnerable to these kinds of threats. WE NEED TO UNIT FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.

By Harsha Man Maharjan Kantipur FM has become Radio Kantipur. This is how Kantipur FM is propagating itself. It is celebrating ninth anniversary on 4th January 2008. It is Radio Rastrya Ko (Radio of Nation). It has become bigger, broader and blah blah. Yes its audience has multiplied enormously. It is operating through seven relay stations. Now it has covered about 60-65 district. It got seven license to air radio stations in Kathmandu (96.1 mhz), Sunsari (96.1 mhz), Birgunj (96.1 mhz), Nepalgunj (101.8 mhz), Bharatpur (96.1 mhz), Pokhara (101.8 mhz) and Butwal (96.1 mhz). Six of them are of 1kw and but one relay station at Sunsari is of 10 kw. Now a question arises. How can Kantipur FM air its national content through relay stations ? How can it become national when it is a FM radio ? Isn’t main principle of FM radio local ? How is it different from Kantipur FM ? I put some of these questions to Prabhat Rimal, station manager of Kantipur FM. He accepts that they got licenses fo...

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...

Posters of Than Shwe were attacked by protesters in the Philippines. http://bloggingforburma.blogspot.com/ http://www.free-burma.org/ About "Free Burma!" International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words „Free Burma!“. News: The Free Burma! Petition Widget for your Blog/Website! See our News for more Updates! Join our list of participants Show your sympathy for the Free Burma! action and sign our list of participants, whether or not you're a blogger, website owner or someone who wants to point the way to democracy and freedom in Burma!If you are a forum user or admin from a large website you can also participate in our " Groups for Free Bu...

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