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I&B Ministry issues guidelines to monitor Pvt. TV operators

New Delhi, Thu, 21 Feb 2008 NI Wire

Under intense pressure from the Supreme Court on the sticky issue of news content aired by some private news channels, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued fresh guidelines to ensure effective functioning of the District and State Level Monitoring committee at the grass root level.

The committee would monitor and enforce the programme code of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, set up in 1995.

The objective of issuing fresh guidelines is to provide a forum to the common man, by a district level committee, to lodge a complaint regarding unauthorised contents or pirated channels, if aired.

The committee will also been empowered to review the action taken by Authorised Officers for enforcement of Cable Act and to inform immediately to the State and Central Government if anything unauthentic aired on the private channels pertaining to incitement to public or spreading wide spread resentment in any community.

It will also monitor the availability of free-to-air channels and channels notified for mandatory carriage on the cable network.

For the convenience of the public, wide publicity will be carried out for the establishment of “complaint cell” headed by a nodal officer at district level, to make proper use of the cell. Publicity will be broadcast on website of the State/Union Territories regarding the constitution of Monitoring Committee.

Guidelines for Authorities

The complaint regarding the content of local concerns carried locally by Cable TV Network, the committee may call for the footage against which the complaint is made. The common pool of wisdom available within the committee will ensure whether any violence has taken place due to airing of the content of programme, which will be followed by the action of the committee to take or not as per the Act.

However the common perception is that the ''common pool of wisdom" at district level is not always liberal. Simultaneously, had the code been strictly worded, like defining the nature of dress or language permissible on TV, it would have led to a different set of problems.

If the complaint pertains to national/regional satellite channels, the Committee may forward its recommendations through the State-level Monitoring Committee to the Information and Broadcasting Ministries for dealing with the issue.

In case it is found that a cable network operator is not carrying channels prescribed for mandatory carrying them and if signal is too poor to be properly visible or audible, the Committee may direct the cable network to ensure proper carriage of the same and also can take any necessary action prescribed under Section 11.

Besides chairman and representative of state police, the State-level Monitoring Committee would incorporate secretary from Social Welfare and Women and Child Development Department. Academicians/ Psychologists and sociologists will also be its active member.

Functions of Members

The members would ensure the District and Local Committees and authorized officers are effectively performing their duties.

They would also be able to give suggestions or guidance to District/Local level committee and in case of violation of Government’s of India’s orders on the Programme and Advertising Codes, they can recommend action and forward complaints to the Ministry of I&B.

Doubts over effective implementation of the Act

The enforcement of the said Act in many parts of the country has not been satisfactory either owing to lack of clear understanding of the role of the District Monitoring Committees or a suitable mechanism to enforce the provisions of the Act.

No State except J&K, has reported the constitution of a State level committee so far.


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