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After the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to have state owned newspapers and TV channels, it is the turn of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to announce that his government would launch a TV channel of its own to highlight affairs in Assam positively as well as to counter "hyped-up news".
Gogoi said, "The TV channels in Assam and outside have shown a disturbing tendency to give undue publicity and mileage to insurgent groups in the state while in reality the insurgency is on the wane in the state. Such attitude of TV channels, which may be an outcome of the rat-race within electronic media, leads to negative projection of the state outside, that in turn scare away potential investors."
"So, I have decided to have a government-run TV channel to project Assam in proper light especially outside the state. This will not be a typical government propaganda tool but a complete TV channel that will have all sorts f programmes related to different spheres of the state," Gogoi added.
The chief minister, however, had a word of praise for 'sober' print media. He said, "The print media compared to the electronic media has been sober and balanced unlike the electronic media that tends to exaggerate everything."
Gogoi's ire against the TV channels apparently stems from the wide coverage given by TV channels on Assam Bandh called by the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (anti-talks faction) on the day Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh visited Assam on April 20 last.
"The day PM visited Assam, the TV channels repeatedly showed the same visuals to harp on the success of ULFA bandh. That is negative projection of the state. Assam is now one of the most peaceful states in the country which is evident from the way people enjoyed Rongali Bihu celebrations this year," Gogoi said.
"I don't want to rein in TC channels, but will have a state owned TV channels soon to counter their negative projection of the state," Gogoi said.