NDTV, a controversial channel which is not only under severe challenges of stable revenue generation and credible journalism but is also facing an existential crisis. The promoters of the channel, Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy have been alleged to have indulged in massive fraud and are being investigated by the present government. After these facts came to the fore, many usual suspects from the media started to malign the NDA government by resorting to fake news.

NDTV, once a hot shot during the previous regime seems to have been rejected by the people as there are several instances of them being caught for not only spreading fake news but also sometimes alleged to have revealed sensitive details.

Incidentally, with dwindling credibility and with the mounting losses, the promoters had decided to reconvert the left-leaning channel from a free to air (FTA) channel to a pay channel with effect from 15 September. In 2016, the group had converted its Hindi news channel NDTV India into an FTA channel but has now reportedly decided to make all the four channels of the group as pay channels

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However, the usual suspects decided to blame the Modi government. According to Kavita Krishnan, another comrade, NDTV’s decision to be a pay channel from an FTA channel has been done to muzzle the freedom of expression of the press. She has yet again resorted to peddling fake news on social media despite NDTV’s self-proclamation of the entering into the subscription revenue model.

Why are Dish TV connections making @ndtv @ndtvindia paid add-ons? A thread https://t.co/FTFjT2AJkX — Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) September 29, 2018

Another leader who claims to be the founder of AIMIM went on to blame the BJP for NDTV’s decision to convert its channel into a paid subscription.

#NDTV has been removed from @officiald2h as @BJP4India is scared of @ravishndtv and truth as modi lies are exposed on this news channel @ZeeNews @aajtaknews @republic and others are just boot licking — Shanul Sayed (@shanulsayed) September 30, 2018

Social media users reacted to the usual propaganda and schooled the usual rumour mongers. Some users called the NDTV’s move as a desperation to earn some revenues, as NDTV is facing severe losses.

Pic 1: NDTV’s Public Notice informing that NDTV will be a Pay Channel from 15th September As a Result D2H companies started asking customers to add NDTV as Add-on Pic 2: Shehla and Kavita Krishnan made it Attack on Media Freedom It’s better to Target Modi than to Fact-Check pic.twitter.com/5dFeICc4uj — Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) September 30, 2018

Loss making NDTV, which gave negative returns to investors, is now making its channels paid and not free to air. Desperate move. Both to earn money and such tweets to do propaganda. ? https://t.co/rFenh2Ma8B — Ashu (@muglikar_) September 30, 2018

When the facts are convenient, the usual suspects tend to ignore what’s right in front of them in order to further a motivated agenda. It was indeed NDTV’s independent decision to shift to a new revenue model by turning their channels into paid subscriptions. Blaming the Modi government for ‘muzzling free speech’ is unfathomable and certainly does reeks of either ignorance or a (un)hidden agenda.