What's with the contradicting news on this issue ( and many other publications) ? Media should verify the validity of their news before publishing. Hence, if anyone rebukes the allegations, Media should firmly uphold the authencity of the news.

KUALA LUMPUR: Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) has not stopped any plans to stop airing Tamil language programmes on RTM2, said Abdul Rahman Hamid, the director-general for broadcasting.

In a statement yesterday, he said RTM had also not received any directive from the Information Ministry or any other ministry on the matter and would continue to show both local and foreign Tamil programmes and films over RTM2.

"If there is any objection to broadcasting, it is due to the failure of the programme concerned to meet the conditions and quality set by the RTM Quality Committee and the Film Censorship Board that comes under the Home Ministry," Abdul Rahman said.

He said this to refute a report by a foreign news agency that alleged that the Information Ministry had decided not to air Tamil dramas from India over RTM2.

Instead, he said, RTM always studied the demand for broadcasts in various languages and would increase them, based on suitability.

Abdul Rahman said presently Tamil programmes took up 14.5 hours of airtime over RTM2 which was 8.63 per cent per week in three categories of programmes.

He said RTM also aired programmes in other languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Spanish.

Furthermore, he said, there were ongoing efforts to increase programmes by local production companies so they could compete and stand on their own globally. - Bernama