Indian Tv Agrees Code on Covering Terrorism After Mumbai Attacks

India's television networks today agreed to ban live phone-ins with "terrorists", avoid broadcasting security operations and drop repeated shots of the aftermath of violent crime after being criticized for coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks.

The guidelines, overseen by a former chief justice, are a response to the minute-by-minute coverage of last month's three-day assault, during which the government temporarily shut television stations for a little less than an hour.

Under the "emergency protocol", broadcasters in the country will now delay live coverage of sensitive incidents and withhold information on security operations. Ministers will still be able to take channels off air, but it is seen as a "nuclear option".

Television stations gave audiences a ringside seat to the violence in Mumbai as 10 militants ran amok, killing 170 people in India's financial capital. Many channels ran startling live images of gunmen spraying bullets into crowds of people. Even before the Mumbai attacks, stations often broadcast graphic shots of bloodied crime-scenes which would rarely be aired elsewhere.

India's booming news industry has grown exponentially in recent years with dozens of 24-hour news stations opening but some say that the regulation has failed to keep pace.

"It is a failure of self-regulation which by its nature is left up to individuals' consciences," said Rajdeep Sardesai, editor-in-chief of CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel. "We had set a code of conduct up in October but then came Mumbai. The challenge is whether (the new protocol's) intent can be translated into implementation."

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) managed to stave off the threat of a new government body, headed by a civil servant, to regulate news content in the country. Senior politicians claimed the militants had been able to check counter-terrorist measures during the attacks by watching Indian television.

According to senior opposition figures, the most egregious complaint was that the live feed of commandos being dropped onto the roof of the Jewish centre in Mumbai directly endangered the success of operations and safety of hostages as well as security forces.

Another channel, India TV, had been given a dressing down by India's broadcasting ministry for airing an interview with "terrorists" which the government said was affording a "platform to espouse their cause".

Arnab Goswani, the editor-in-chief of Times Now, India's biggest English-language news channel, which had been accused of adopting a "Fox News, war-mongering stance", defended broadcasters saying that criticism had to be seen as part of the "government and media learning how to deal with sensitive issues".

"Self regulation remains the key. We do not want regulation thrust upon us and we want to protect the media's independence. I think we asked tough questions of everyone including politicians and human rights activists. In a democracy nothing should be left unquestioned."

International news channels, which take live footage from local broadcasters, already operate in India under strict government guidelines.

This is not the first time television stations have been accused of undermining security operations. When terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage during the 1972 Olympic games, German security forces were forced to cancel a rescue attempt after TV crews filmed police preparing to assault the Olympic village.

The after-effects of the Mumbai attacks continued across South Asia today as the Indian government rushed a new law through parliament allowing police to hold suspects for up to 180 days without charge.

Meanwhile, Pakistan summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest alleged violations of its airspace by Indian warplanes. Fighter jets were scrambled to chase off the intruders which crossed into Pakistani airspace on Saturday, but Islamabad described the violations as "technical" and "inadvertent".