NEW DELHI: The Indian Media Group (IMG), a newly-formed body of domestic media companies with the exception of few like Hindustan Times, today met senior ministers in the government to reiterate the demand for level playing field in area of tax structure too.
 
According to government sources, the IMG first met information and broadcasting (I&B) minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and then later were scheduled to meet deputy prime minister LK Advani.
"Basically, we met the I&B minister to thank him for having heeded to our demands on level playing field (vis-?-vis foreign owned media companies) and also reiterate the requests on equality on the tax structure like withholding taxes," a member of IMG said after coming out of a meeting with Prasad.

IMG was formed some time back to put pressure on the government on the issue of Star News. One of the demands of the group had been that laws like uplinking norms should be made more stringent and the government should execute its compliance in letter and spirit. This demand had been made in the wake of Star News controversy when many in the IMG had alleged that Star was making "a monkey" of India laws.

Those who came to meet Prasad and later were slated to meet up with Advani included Times of India’s Vineet Jain and Vijay Jindal; the India Today Group’s Aroon Purie and Prabhu Chawla; and Zee Telefilms CMD Subhash Chandra.

When Chandra was asked about the agenda of the meetings, he simply said IMG had come to "thank" the I&B minister for having favourably listened to their demand of a playing field. On being asked to elaborate, he said IMG spokesperson Purie would speak, who evaded all questions from the media.