Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata has pointed to ?potential conflict? on part of some media houses in covering the leaked wiretaps involving corporate lobbyist Niira Radia. Tata has pointed to the fact that Radia tapes were published in media platforms owned or part-owned by certain well known corporate groups.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Tata said the assertion of the right of the media to broadcast these tapes has to be evaluated against the invasion of the right to privacy as big corporate houses own substantial stakes in media groups and therefore a ?potential conflict? has arisen given ?apprehension of bias.?

Submitting details of the shareholding structure of certain media groups, Tata stated that there are ?problems arising out of ownership of media entities by large business houses? such as Reliance Capital Ltd, RPG and the Rahejas.

Reliance Capital, a unit of the Anil Ambani Group, owns 1.06 crore shares valued at Rs 136.33 crore in IBN-18 Broadcast Ltd, 52.30 lakh shares valued at Rs 162.72 crore in Network-18 Media and Investment Ltd and 81 lakh shares valued at Rs 101.97 crore in TV Today Networks, which belong to the India Today Group.

The industrialist further said RPG Enterprises, which owns the Open magazine, and the Mumbai-based Rajan Raheja Group, which substantially owns the Outlook magazine, have published extensive excerpts from the Radia tapes.

Both magazines are parties to the Tata’s petition before the Supreme Court. Pointing out the significance of the interrelationship between newspapers/broadcasters and industrial/corporate groups, Tata said: ?It is true that media requires significant investment of capital and there is bound to be a financial relationship between industrialists and industrial houses who have command over the kind of resources that need to be invested and companies that operate in the field of journalism. However, what had changed significantly in the last few decades is both the reach of the media (specially the electronic media) and the sensitivity of the corporate sector to media image publicity ? whether it be for its general acceptability in society or for purposes such as raising funds from the public and public institutions,? Tata stated.

Tata also blamed the government for its ?lackadaisical? attitude in allowing corporate lobbyist Niira Radia’s tapes to be published and for failing to retrieve the leaked tapes. ?The assertion of the right of the media to broadcast these tapes has to be evaluated against the invasion of the right of privacy of the affected citizens, inter alia, in the backdrop of potential conflict arising of investment by corporate houses in the media, for it is obvious that the right to freedom of expression cannot be a euphemism for waging surrogate corporate wars,? the affidavit stated. The affidavit has come in a petition filed by Tata seeking to restrain media from further publication of the leaked private conversations between him and Radia. Around 5,800 phone conversations during August 20, 2008 to July 9, 2009 between Radia and politicians, industrialists and media personalities were recorded by the Directorate General of Income Tax on alleged charges of tax violations by Radia. The published parts of transcripts of the taped conversations form evidence in the 2G Spectrum scam that allegedly caused loss of Rs 1,76,000 crore to the exchequer. According to Tata, the problems rising out of ownership of media entities by large business houses was identified in 1982 by the Second Press Commission under the chairmanship of former SC judge Justice P K Goswami. The commission had noted that when newspapers were controlled by other big businesses they become vehicles of expression of the ideology of their owners and the selection, presentation and display of news in such newspapers would be dictated by that ideology. ?The newspapers controlled by them may be selective in their presentation of news and views for benefits conferred in respect of their other business interests,? Tata said while quoting the panel’s view. Even market regulator Sebi had noted that the role of media in commercial issues, the affidavit said, adding that in December last year the watchdog had made amendment to the listing agreement of companies, thus making it mandatory for corporates to disclose details of any agreement with the media companies on their websites and also notify stock exchanges of the same for public dissemination. The government had earlier told SC, in response to Tata?s petition, that it was not possible for it to retrieve leaked conversations that have already appeared in the press. It also said it was taking steps to ensure no further leaks happened.