Modi interview was edited to fit 30-minute slot: DD News

The state-run DD News has said it did not “deliberately” edit out any portion of the interview with BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi aired on April 27, after a newspaper claimed the channel had cut Modi’s views on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The state-run DD News has said it did not “deliberately” edit out any portion of the interview with BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi aired on April 27, after a newspaper claimed the channel had cut Modi’s views on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The official news broadcaster, in a statement emailed to HT, said it had requested Modi for a 30-minute interview, which was edited as part of post-production routine technical process to telecast it “in a fixed slot”.

DD News said there was no attempt to downplay the interview, conducted in Gandhinagar, nor was there any interference in its presentation.

“Rather it was given wide pre-telecast publicity and also repeated on April 28,” SM Khan, the head of DD News, said.

He suggested there was no delay in airing the interview. “DD News announced at 1.30pm on 27th April that the special interview will be telecast at 9.30pm with a repeat telecast at 3pm on April 28.”

DD News said the interview was conducted in a “walk-the-talk format” on a lawn with a three-camera production team on April 26. “It required lot of post-production before putting on air.”