India's new information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is of the opinion that in the national interest, cable operators should desist from re-distributing Pak TV. He stated this in a programme on the BBC World Service.
Participating in a BBC Hindi Radio phone-in-programme Aap ki Baat BBC ke Saath on BBC World Service on Sunday, where the minister took questions from the BBC as well as listeners the world over, Prasad also said that efforts are being made to spruce up Doordarshan and All India Radio but everything cannot be dictated by commercial time.
"We would have to bear in mind that DD and AIR have a public character also, which we cannot forget. Everything cannot be controlled by commercial revenue," Prasad said.
Here's a run-down of the interview where Prasad talks on various issues related to the media. Extracts from the programme, which has been provided by BBC World Service's Delhi office.
The abbreviations used: BBC Q - questions asked by the BBC presenter Nagendar Sharma; RSP - Ravi Shankar Prasad.