Kathmandu, March 14:

The National Network of Weeklies and Fortnightlies (NNWF) today demanded that the government implement a one-door policy for fair and transparent distribution of advertisements to all the media.

Addressing an interaction on “Proportionate distribution of advertisements” held by the NNWF and Kathmandu Valley FM Broadcasters’ Forum, NNWF president Dev Prakash Tripathee asked the government to form an advertisement authority for the proportionate distribution of advertisements to all the media houses.

“Promoting professionalism, national interest and democracy should be considered while distributing advertisements,” he said.

He said the government provides advertisements worth Rs 34 crore to a single media house in a year.

Acting secretary at the Finance Ministry Rameswor Khanal said earlier contractors had misused the government provision to provide advertisements to local media.

Speaker Subas Nembang said the government was committed to implementing the report to be submitted by the task-force led by director general of the Department of Information Mukunda Acharya.

Senior journalist Harihar Birahi said time had come that the whole media system be restructured.