India TV slaps legal notice on STAR India top honchos, ‘Mumbai Mirror’

The news channel has reacted to an article published in ‘Mumbai Mirror’, in which Deepak Segal, executive vice-president, STAR India, was quoted as calling India TV a scam

The STAR India-India TV controversy isn’t over yet. Mumbai tabloid ‘Mumbai Mirror’ now finds itself dragged into the squabble between the two broadcasters. Following a report published in ‘Mumbai Mirror’ on the recent ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 2’ (‘KBC 2’) controversy, India TV has sent a legal notice to Meenal Baghel, editor, ‘Mumbai Mirror’; well-known film critic Subhash K Jha, who filed the report; Sameer Nair, COO, STAR India; and Deepak Segal, executive vice-president, content, STAR India, who were quoted in the story.

Confirming the development to agencyfaqs!, Chintamani Rao, CEO, India TV, says, “We have objected to Segal’s statement in the article: ‘I’d say the word ‘scam’ applies more to what India TV is doing than to us. This is a desperate move by a channel anxious to be watched and if they are so sure of their facts, why didn’t they approach us?’”

In its legal notice, India TV has asked for an ‘unconditional apology’ and also that the apology be ‘publish(ed)… at a prominent place’ within 48 hours. In addition, the notice asks for ‘suitable compensation towards causing irreparable loss and damage to the reputation’ of India TV.

In the legal notice, India TV has also objected to Segal’s statement that India TV didn’t contact STAR India before airing its story. In this context, Rao says that based on a lead from a viewer, India TV had first intimated Sameer Nair, COO, India TV, about the ‘KBC 2’ dispute. When they didn’t receive a reply from Nair, they sent a mail to Peter Mukherjea, CEO, STAR India, who replied saying that he would respond in due course.

For those who came in late, the entire India TV-STAR India spat began when India TV brought to the fore alleged inaccuracies and complaints regarding the candidate selection procedure of ‘KBC 2’ – some chosen candidates managed to appear twice when 25 lakh callers were trying to make it to each episode. Later, STAR issued a press release and hinted that it might take legal action against India TV.

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