ITV

Tag: I&B minister

  • 20 TV channels banned for flouting rules over last three years: Jaitley

    20 TV channels banned for flouting rules over last three years: Jaitley

    NEW DELHI: There have been 20 cases in the past three years in which certain television channels were asked to prohibit transmission for specific time ranging from one to 30 days, the Lok Sabha was told on 31 July.

     

    Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Arun Jaitley said action was taken in a total of 86 cases with the Ministry issuing specific warnings or advisories to channels to comply with the Programme and Advertising Codes or directing them to scroll apologies on their channel in the other 66 cases.

     

    The Minister said there is no provision of pre-censorship of the content telecast on TV channels but all programmes telecast are required to adhere to the Programme Code prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the rules framed there under.

     

    “Action is taken whenever any violation of the said code is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry,” he added.

     

    Section 5 of the Programme Code provides that “No person shall transmit or re-transmit through a cable service any programme, unless such programme is in conformity with the prescribed programme code.” Accordingly, Programme Code has been notified through the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 under Rule 6. 

     

    Click here for list of channels banned for varying periods during the last three years. 

  • Govt. assures Parliament that film on Nirbhaya incident of December 2012 will not be telecast

    Govt. assures Parliament that film on Nirbhaya incident of December 2012 will not be telecast

    NEW DELHI: Following strong protests in Rajya Sabha today, Home Minister Rajnath Singh committed to members that the government will move to court to restrain the screening of the film on the ghastly Nirbhaya incident of 16 December 2012 by British filmmaker Leslee Udwin while informing the upper house that a first information report has already been filed against the producers.

     

    The uproar arose out of the revelation in the press meet on 3 March by Udwin and co-producer Dibang that the film contained interviews conducted in Tihar Jail with those who have been convicted in the case, including Mukesh Singh who had justified the gang rape.

     

    Singh said that he is personally hurt by the incident and he has spoken to the authorities to stop screening of the documentary in India. He said the government will act promptly and firmly against those officials and others responsible for giving permission to the BBC and a British filmmaker to go ahead with the interviews and to subsequently allow its broadcast.

     

    Earlier before question, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi gave an absolute assurance that the government would act, but this did not satisfy the opposition, and some members trooped into the Well of the House to disrupt proceedings. The House session was being chaired by its Deputy Chairman P.J.Kurien, who had to adjourn for 15 minutes.

     

    Singh said, “The condition was given to shoot the interview for social purpose and not for commercial use. A legal notice was issued to them when the jail authorities came to know that it violated the conditions. The permission to shoot the documentary was given with conditions.”

     

    Later, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, “The airing of documentary would be contempt of court. This entire documentary is against the programming code of I&B ministry. Language seems to incite violence against women, and instills fear.”

     

    Although nobody has been named in the FIR, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi maintained that the ‘main actor’ is the person who has made these assertions.

     

    He urged the media not to broadcast any assertion which transgresses the domain of law. “This was a ghastly crime. One has to take into consideration that reporting of a crime does not transgress the domain of law and if that happens then the law will have to take its own course,” he told reporters.

     

    The FIR was registered under IPC sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 505(1)(b) (With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 66A of the IT Act (Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service) at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police.

     

    Udwin had claimed that she took permission from the then Director General of Tihar jail Vimla Mehra to interview Mukesh Singh in prison for the BBC. 

     

    Asked about this claims, Bassi said, “I am not aware of any permission. Even if it was given, it was given to remain in the domain of law. If any act transgresses the domain of law and particularly IPC, I am duty bound to take action and we have registered a case.”

     

    The India-United King co-production India’s Daughter was slated for a world premiere simultaneously in India, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Canada.

     

    NDTV 24×7 was to telecast of the interview-based documentary in India on International Women’s Day – 8 March at 9.00 pm. 

     

    India’s Daughter tells the story of the horrific Delhi gang rape and of the unprecedented protests and riots, which this horrific event ignited throughout India, demanding changes in attitudes towards women. 

     

    Udwin said Mukesh Singh, the driver of the bus in which the 23-year-old paramedical student was brutally gang-raped by six men, said women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters.

  • Action taken against 50 channels since 2012 for programme or advertising code violation

    Action taken against 50 channels since 2012 for programme or advertising code violation

    NEW DELHI: Action has been taken against three television channels so far in 2015, of which two have been taken without issue of any show cause notice.

     

    Colors was issued an order on 8 January relating to the programme Fear Factor Khatron Ke khiladi – Darr ka Blockbuster following a show cause notice sent initially on 22 May last year.

     

    Lemon TV was issued a warning on 19 January for telecast of programme Khauf Ke 10 Destination.

     

    NTV Telugu News was taken off air for seven days following an order on 19 January for telecast of a song-based programme Cine Colors containing obscene visuals.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Rajya Sabha today that apart from these, action was taken 16 times in 2012, 32 times in 2013 and 22 times in 2014 against various channels on violation of Programme and Advertisement code.

     

    Action was taken – including warnings – against 49 channels between 2012 and 2115. This includes nine channels, which figured more than once in the list of actions taken from 2012 onwards.

     

    This includes advisories issued to all channels in 12 cases between 2012 and 2013 against telecast of certain advertisements or to ensure that the Censor Certificate is shown before telecast of a film, avoid unnecessary scenes of road rage and rash driving, reporting on children, comparison of speech of the Prime Minister with the speech of other political leaders on Independence Day 2013, telecasting programmes promoting blind belief, telecast of inflammatory and provocative news/programmes in a sensational manner, and direct telecast of the events round the clock  relating to public demonstrations likely to encourage violence and against maintenance of law and order and likely to promote anti-national attitudes.

  • Govt. denies interference in working of CBFC

    Govt. denies interference in working of CBFC

    NEW DELHI: The Government has categorically denied any interference in the decision-making of the Central Board of Film Certification or any coercion on the chairperson or any other member by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

     

    Minister of state for I&B Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that the Ministry had ‘at no point’ communicated with the chairperson or members regarding certification of any film.

     

    While announcing that Pahlaj Nihalani was made chairman and 10 new Board members had been appointed to fill the places of nine members who resigned, Rathore told Parliament that the legal regime with regard to CBFC is well laid out and it is the Board alone which decides within its jurisdiction.

     

    Aggrieved producers have the right to move the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal headed by a retired Judge of a High Court which decides matters in appeal in accordance with the Cinematograph Act.

     

    There are adequate provisions in the Act and the Rules to protect the autonomy of the Board.

     

    He said Leela Samson’s tenure as chairperson had ended in March but she had continued to hold charge because as per the Certification Rules an outgoing Chairperson has to hold charge until the new incumbent takes over. While there is no such rule for the members, fourteen members whose tenure had ended on 24 May had been asked to continue until further orders.

    The resignation of Samson and nine other members who resigned alleging interference was accepted with effect from 19 January this year.

  • Electronic Media Monitoring Centre to go up to 1500 channels by 2017: Rathore

    Electronic Media Monitoring Centre to go up to 1500 channels by 2017: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: The government hopes to increase the capacity of the state-of-art Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), which currently monitors around 300 television channels, to 1500 by 2017.

     
    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore told Parliament that these 300 channels are chosen randomly out of the 839 channels beaming into Indian homes.

     
    He said that the aim was to first achieve the target of monitoring 600 channels within the next few months, while answering a question about reality shows playing with the sentiments of the people.

    In a reply to a supplementary question about young children being used in dance shows, Rathore said that there are a large number of channels and there is undoubtedly a race to attract as many eyeballs as possible. Therefore, most of these channels, no doubt, are walking a very thin line and working in that grey area. However, there is a freedom of expression. Therefore, the government does not want to impinge on the freedom of expression. Keeping in mind the morality, decency and various levels of acceptance on television, certain guidelines have been issued. “What the Ministry can say is that we will issue advisories and we will also take into account any complaint that comes,” he said.

     

    He also said that a Task Force had earlier been set up to work on a regulatory body but the channels had opposed this and wanted self-regulation.

     
    Answering the main question, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley said no fact had been brought to the notice of the government alleging shows playing with sentiments of the people. However, the content carried on private satellite TV channels is regulated according to the provisions of the Programme and Advertising Codes contained in the Cable Television Network Rules 1994 and the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995. The rules provide for a whole range of parameters to regulate programme and advertisements on TV channels including the reality shows.

     
    The programme code says that no programme should be carried which (a) offends good taste or decency (b) contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths (c) criticizes, maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country (d) denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent or derogatory to women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals (e) denigrates children (f) is not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition (g) is unsuitable for children.

     

    Action is taken against defaulting channels whenever any violation of the said codes is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry.

     

    The Ministry also has an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) to look into the violations of the Programme and Advertisement Codes. IMC has representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, Consumer Affairs and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). IMC meets periodically and recommends action against violations.

     

    Besides, as part of self-regulation by industry, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), which is a representative body of non-news and current affairs TV channels, has set up Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) to examine the complaints about television programmes.

     

  • Govt. keen on early expansion of phase III of FM radio

    Govt. keen on early expansion of phase III of FM radio

    NEW DELHI: Even as the government wants to commence the expansion of phase III of FM radio to bring in additional revenue, there appears to be a re-think on the question permitting these channels to carry All India Radio news bulletins.
     

    While confirming that he was keen to start the process as soon as possible in the current financial year, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said about the proposal to allow broadcast of news on private FM radio stations: “Let me consider this at length.”
     

    His response was in a similar manner when asked about permitting All India Radio news bulletins on private FM stations.

     
    The Minister said his Ministry and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are considering aspects related to this process. He said. “Some aspects are being considered between the I&B Ministry and the regulator. And I would like to see that happen quite early. If I could have my way, it should be in this financial year because I now speak in both capacities.
    31 March, and some more revenue to the government has some relevance to me,” said Jaitley,

     
    More than 800 new FM radio channels are proposed to be allowed to come up in nearly 294 cities across the country under phase III.

     
    While the previous government had cleared the carriage of AIR news bulletins on private FM channels and even given the option to the existing 245 FM channels to opt for phase III, it had halted the process of auction in view of the elections.

     
    Jaitley’s predecessor Prakash Javadekar had not only promised early e-auctions, but said that the government would consider what can be broadcast by the private FM channels on their own other than AIR news bulletins.

     

  • “Digitisation will bring quality and transparency in subscriber base”: Arun Jaitley

    “Digitisation will bring quality and transparency in subscriber base”: Arun Jaitley

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has emphasised the importance of the digitisation programme in providing better quality of service, wider choice of content and its important role in bringing about transparency within the subscriber base.

     
    As a process it had also brought about a change in the broadcasting landscape as well as enabled broadband penetration within the country, he told the first Consultative Committee Meeting of Members of Parliament attached to his Ministry.

     

    The meeting devoted its deliberations to the issue of digitisation of cable TV network in phase III and IV.  Minister of State for I&B Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was also present in the meeting.

     

    A presentation was made on behalf of the Ministry giving an overview of the digitisation process. The presentation highlighted the steps taken during phase I and II and the proposed road map for phase III and IV.

     
    Specific reference was made to the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry including the discussions with stakeholders and the campaign to sensitise masses.

     

    Members of the Committee gave suggestions to ensure that the concerns of all stakeholders were addressed. It was also emphasised that MSOs should operationalise grievance redressal mechanisms to address the concerns of cable subscribers. They emphasised that quality of domestically manufactured Set Top Boxes (STBs) must be ensured.

     
    The issue of digitisation, plan of Doordarshan terrestrial network and the steps being taken to implement the process was also deliberated upon.

     
    It was also mentioned that the Ministry needed to take proactive steps to ensure timely registration of MSO applications so as to ensure the large presence of MSOs to implement the digitisation programme during phase III and phase IV.

     

    During the discussions emphasis was laid on the efforts being made by the Ministry to integrate the domestic STB manufacturers with the ‘Make in India’ programme. Specific reference was made to the initiative of the Ministry in resolving the long pending issue of ‘C’ Form to create a level playing field for domestic STB manufacturers. Members were also informed that interactions were being held with the STB fraternity to ensure that they utilised their capacity to fulfill the demand for STBs during phase III and phase IV.

     

    The Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Dr. Jayakumar Jayavardhan, Tapas Paul, V. Sathyabama, M P Achuthan, P Rajeeve, Pawan Kumar Varma and Vivek Gupta.

     

  • Dish TV exploring possibility of setting up domestic STB manufacturing business

    Dish TV exploring possibility of setting up domestic STB manufacturing business

    MUMBAI: The positive thrust that the cable and DTH industry has been receiving from the current Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Prakash Javadekar is getting encouraging response from the industry.

     

    While the government has classified set top boxes (STBs) as telecom equipment to encourage indigenous manufacturing of STBs, Dish TV has decided to tap into the emerging domestic market.

     

    Reporting improved results, Dish TV MD Jawahar Goel said that the company is ‘re-evaluating possibilities for domestic manufacturing of STBs’.

     

    Speaking to indiantelevision.com, Dish TV CEO RC Venkateish said, “We are exploring the idea of domestic STB manufacturing given the incentive and fillip that the government is keen to provide to domestic manufacturers.” He added that there seems to be an overall trust of the government which is the underlying assumption that indigenous manufacturing will save costs as compared to importing boxes.

     

    Venkateish said that the company is currently evaluating the cost structure for setting up an STB manufacturing unit that will not just provide boxes to Dish TV but to others in the industry as well. Though the company would have to invest in capex and opex for the manufacturing unit, whether this will help them save up the additional cost of custom duties that imported boxes incur, is still a question mark.

     

    Dish TV has reported an addition of 332,000 subscribers in Q2 2015 with lower losses at Rs 15 crore as compared to the previous quarter.

  • NBA and IBF to approach govt bodies regarding broadcasting woes

    NBA and IBF to approach govt bodies regarding broadcasting woes

    MUMBAI: The broadcasting industry of India has been facing several issues right from carriage fees to the imposition of the ad cap. In order to reduce the burden on the broadcasters, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) have now decided to unite and present their views to the highest authorities in India.  

     

    India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma who is also the NBA president and the IBF vice president of strategic affairs, said that the two bodies will meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and the Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to make them aware about the growing cancer called carriage fees. ”We will also show a revenue model that MSOs can adopt so that we don’t become dependent on carriage fees,” said Sharma.    

     

    Regarding ad cap he said that they will show the ministers the kind of revenue loss the channels will incur if the 10+2 minute ad cap is implemented. The case is currently being fought by the NBA in the Delhi High Court.  “We will request for the 12 minute advertising cap to be removed from the licencing conditions,” he said. The NBA president added that no channel, be it a news channel or a GEC, wants to show more than five minutes of advertising but the revenue model forces them to do so. “None of us want to compromise on programming,” he said.

     

    The new ratings system that will be applicable once BARC India starts its operations, should be transparent, he said. ”Till the time these issues are not addressed, the industry will keep suffering,” he opined.   

     

    While speaking to indiantelevision.com, Sharma said that the meeting is expected to happen in the next few days.

     

    Sharma was addressing a keynote at the Seventh Indian News Television Summit, organised by indiantelevision.com where he discussed the role of a news channel and the challenges and hurdles that they face.

  • “We have to drive BARC to measure outside of TV, on different screens”: Sudhanshu Vats

    “We have to drive BARC to measure outside of TV, on different screens”: Sudhanshu Vats

    NEW DELHI: Mobile phones today define the life of the youth. Kids watch all kinds of programmes, sometimes on TV and sometimes not on TV. And this, according to CII chairman national committee on media and entertainment and group CEO Viacom 18 Media Sudhanshu Vats, is not an urban phenomena but an Indian one. The consumers are moving fast, but the question currently is if the regulator and the regulations are moving fast enough?

     

    Reflecting his thoughts on consumer behavior at the recently concluded CII Big Picture Summit 2014, Vats said that the industry hasn’t made much progress in the area. Talking sector wise in the media and entertainment sector he first spoke of radio. “Today private news is splashed across print, television, internet and then there is news available through tweets and other formats on mobile, but private news is still not available on the radio,” he informed. Through the forum he appealed to the Information and Broadcasting  Minister Prakash Javadekar (I&B) to take this into account during the phase III of FM.

     

    In the film sector, Vats informed that the number of screens that China has is three times the number that India has. Not only this, while the biggest film in India is close to $50 million, the biggest local Chinese film is close to about $150 dollars today. And Hollywood films tend to be bigger. “There is a need to reduce taxation in ticketing and entertainment. If this happens, we will expand volumes and if volumes expand, we will grow in this country, giving a boost to films which are the best ambassadors of our culture. Both in India and abroad,” he said.

     

    The third sector he spoke about was events, which currently are not much spoken about. “This can become a hotspot for tourism. Single window clearance is needed,” he added.

     

    Vats also touched upon the most talked about issue of digitisation. “There is a need to look at digitisation holistically and take strides firmly in one direction. What is happening is that in phase I and phase II, we have done something and not done something. Addressability is still not there. The entire start-stop is not helping,” he opined.

     

    According to Vats, this new India needs new thinking and it needs new rules and principle. “The time for this is ‘now.’ “We are open to looking at this, but we need to make radical, important strides,” he said while putting forth four new principles to address this new thinking.

     

    The first is the consumer or viewer. “We need to start the story with the viewer. We need to realise that media and entertainment industry is a consumer industry. The question is:  are our regulations or business models tailored to consumers? The answer is no,” he said.

     

    The second principle that he stressed upon was on collaboration. “It is extremely important that we start collaborating, both within the industry and by the government with the industry in India and other countries as well.”

     

    Measurement was the third principle he highlighted. “This aspect is extremely important as audience and viewer is moving very fast. Are we being able to measure it the way we want to, currently the answer is no. But the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, which is a joint industry body, is the first step in this area. We have to see how we drive it further so that BARC measures outside of television; on different screens and how it is there for other media as we move forward from the point of view of measurement,” Vats said.

     

    The final principle that he spoke of was capacity. This refers to human capacity and talent. “Are we recognising media and entertainment as a serious industry? Are we developing it as a curriculum which can be brought about, at least in high schools, so that we start facilitating some of the work which happens. So human capacity building and physical infrastructure capacity building like broadband, digital cable etc needs to be worked upon,” he informed.

     

    According to Vats, a few years down the line, the distinction between the creator and the consumer will narrow down. Not just this, different sectors of media and entertainment will come together. “Converged India will thrive in a connected world,” he opined.

     

    India is bubbling with creativity and we can pride ourselves in freedom of thought. “Let’s create in India for the world, make in India, show the world,” concluded Vats.