I was told big boss doesn't want AAP on CNN IBN

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Siddharth Mohan Nair | The News Minute | January 18, 2015 | 4.40 PM IST Follow @SiddharthMNair Recently, Hoot reported that CNN IBN had refused to have an AAP representative on their prime time show, the day on which the Delhi election date was declared. AAPâ€™s representative Raghav Chadha, who was in the channelâ€™s studio, was asked to leave as the channel could not have a representative of AAP live on a discussion. A source in CNN IBN says that the editorial knows coverage of AAP will be minimum, even during Delhi elections. However, the orders for reduced coverage of AAP were given much before. When the party had done a series of press conferences which showed the Reliance group in bad light, the bosses of the group had told the editorial team of CNN IBN, in which Reliance has majority stake, to systematically reduce covering the party and its activities. â€œInside the Networ18 take over,â€ an article that was published by Mint in June 2014 had given a vivid description of how the corporate giant was forcing its power on the editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai and other editors wanting a â€œcomplete blackout of Kejriwal and AAP.â€ Following Relianceâ€™s takeover of CNN IBN, Rajdeep Sardesai and few others quit the channel. This particular incident of January 12, however, was something grave. Speaking to The News Minute about the incident Raghav Chadda explained what happened in that night. â€œFirst the channel wanted a pre-recording at 8.30 PM to be broadcast in the 9 PM show. I told them that I was available for the 9 PM show and that I will speak live. The channel asked me to wait in the studio. At 8.55 PM they told me that they had just received a call from the Bigg Boss who asked to drop AAPâ€™s spokesperson from the debate,â€ Chadha said. â€œI did not want to pre-record because there was a chance that they would edit my comments. I had a show at News X at 9.45 PM and I told CNN IBN that I was available for the 9 PM show and could go live for it.â€ A source in the CNN IBN said that it was a bad decision to call Raghav Chadha for the show as it was always known that the management did not want to cover AAP or let them air their views on the channel. On January 16, Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted saying that he was "depressed" after learning about this incident. Going to sleep depressed after reading this: http://t.co/58CAx3Siyp gnight, shubhratri. â€” Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) January 16, 2015 With Delhiâ€™s going to be a three-cornered election and AAP playing a central role this election, it is surprising as to how a news channelâ€™s coverage of election could be complete if they ignore this party. A source in the CNN IBN also said that no reporter was assigned to AAP as a separate beat, unlike in other channels. But how can the AAP be totally ignored during election? "We will cover them sketchily," was the answer. Wonder what the channel would do if AAP were to go ahead and win a big chunk of seats and become a party that could not be ignored. Maybe CNN IBN may pretend as if Delhi election just did not happen. Tweet Follow @thenewsminute Read - In case you missed: Three stories about the Indian media this week

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