ITV

Tag: I&B minister

  • Government warns of stiff action against erring TV channels

    Government warns of stiff action against erring TV channels

    NEW DELHI: Even as the AXN channel has been allowed to resume telecasts in India following an apology, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has expressed its unhappiness at the fact that the channel should have ignored warnings about its content.

    Sources in the ministry tell Indiantelevision.com that the channel, which was banned on 17 January for two months (till 15 March), “did not even acknowledge the notices of the ministry in this regard, leave aside responding to them.” AXN had been banned for telecasting programmes like The World’s Sexiest Advertisements, which the ministry felt “were against good taste or decency and were likely to adversely affect public morality.”

    I&B Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi had said recently that the government was concerned about the content being aired on electronic media and has warned of suitable action in case of violations of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995.

    He had noted that some of the programmes being telecast on TV on different channels had poor quality content and women were depicted in a degrading fashion in advertisements etc. “We have to be very tough in this regard,” he had noted. Though he did not name any channels, it is learnt that they included FTV and Zee Café, apart from AXN.

    The ban order under Section 20(2) of the Act was lifted in view of the assurance by AXN that it would put in place a more effective self regulatory mechanism to ensure that the programmes and the advertisements telecast on the channel are in compliance with the Act.

  • Ban on AXN: IBF seeks meeting with I&B minister

    Ban on AXN: IBF seeks meeting with I&B minister

    MUMBAI: Broadcasters have reacted strongly to the move by the government yesterday banning for two months the telecast of Sony Entertainment’s action channel AXN on the charge that it was telecasting “obscene programmes”.

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the representative body for broadcasters in the country, is planning an urgent meeting to thrash out how to deal with the matter and have sought an appointment with I&B minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi on the matter.

    Says IBF director finance Naresh Chahal: “The IBF views this as a very serious issue that may lead to uncertainty and confusion regarding day-to-day operations of channels. The IBF board will be meeting very shortly to discuss the matter and we have also sought an urgent meeting with the information and broadcasting minister to put forward our point of view.”

    The I&B ministry yesterday issued directions blocking signals of the channel into India up to 15 March.

    Sources told Indiantelevision.com that the ministry had taken objection to the channel repeatedly telecasting programmes such as World’s Sexiest Commercials that “are against good taste or decency and are likely to adversely affect public morality”.

    The government has been issuing warnings from time to time to various channels to desist from telecasting “obscene programmes” and software not suitable for women and children.

    The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 clearly stipulates that the government has the right to block or take action against channels which violate the broadcasting and advertising codes of the country.

  • Indian film industry to target 5% of global market share

    Indian film industry to target 5% of global market share

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has set a target of over five per cent from the present two per cent for as the global share of the Indian film market in 2007.

    I and B Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told the India chapter of the US-Asia Business Forum at its inauguration here today that there are plans to strengthen and further develop the film industry in India. He said that the five core groups set up for the purpose are expected to submit their recommendations shortly and necessary action will be initiated after that.

    Steps are also under consideration to increase the global visibility and acceptability of Indian cinema, including increased presence at various film festivals like Cannes. Dasmunsi added that in order to improve the quality of film scripts, plans are afoot to upgrade two film training institutes. He said censorship is still needed in films though filmmakers enjoy considerable freedom in the treatment of their subjects.

    Though China is presently ahead of India in the economic sense, the minister said he was hopeful of matching up to any developed country by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan. He felt that the business fora can act as a facilitating agent in further developing Indian interests abroad.

    Dasmunsi said India and the United States have also agreed to advance mutually beneficial bilateral trade and investment flows by holding a high-level public-private investment summits and continuing with the efforts to facilitate and promote foreign direct investment and eliminate impediments to it.

    Chairman of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations RK Dhawan said India has gained visibility and recognition as a high-quality, low-cost production and research and development destination. The Government’s inclination towards reforms has also created an investment friendly atmosphere. India can be used as a base for third country exports and also targeting Indian consumers. A total of 237 SEZs have already been approved and 51 of them have been notified, he added.

  • CAS: Govt populism may force low prices

    CAS: Govt populism may force low prices

    NEW DELHI: Popular pay TV channels at prices below Rs. 10 (Rs. 47=1US$) each for Indian cable TV subscribers?

    Might be hard to believe, but may become a reality if the Indian broadcast regulator succumbs to pressures from the government to keep cable TV prices at present level in a CAS-enabled regime.

    According to information available, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is likely to announce later today prices of pay channels that may look ridiculously low.

    Sources in the regulatory body indicated that there’s immense pressure from the government (read the information and broadcasting ministry) to keep cable TV subscription at affordable levels when addressability is rolled out from 1 January 2007.

    Presently, an Indian household shells out between Rs. 150 to Rs. 400 on an average per month for cable TV channels ranging between 30 to 100 depending on the locality of residence.

    The present mantra is simple: posh-er the area, higher the subscription fee.

    It is leant that the I&B ministry is in favour of pricing popular pay channels (Star Plus, Zee TV, Sony, HBO, Star Movies, ESPN and Star Sports, for example) at prices that would be affordable and keep the average monthly outflow to around Rs. 170 (exclusive of free to air channels).

    If this formula is taken into account, then most popular TV channels — most of which are pay — have to be priced around Rs. 5 or below Rs. 10 to cater to the varied taste.

    Out of the 265 TV channels that the government recognizes — 65 have applied for landing rights and the rest uplink from India — approximately 70 are pay channels.

    As per a court mandate, agreed upon by the government and industry stakeholders, CAS is to be implemented in the south zones of Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai from midnight of 31 December 2006.

    Sector regulator, buffeted between demands from the government and the industry, has to announce prices of pay and free-to-air channels (basic tier in an addressable regime) by the evening of 31 August to adhere to a Delhi court-mandated sequencing of CAS rollout.

    It needs to be seen whether Trai will give a go-ahead to the prices submitted by various pay channels (most bouquets have given wholesale prices) or decides to go in for a maximum retail price (MRP) in case it finds them unreasonable.

    According to a report put out by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on 10 August, I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi informed Rajya Sabha (Upper House) that television viewers will have to pay less under a CAS regime.

    There would be no charges on free-to air channels, the minister had said, adding the viewers would pay according to pay channels they opt for instead of paying a fixed tariff varying from Rs. 150 to Rs. 300 per month currently.

  • Government defers decision on TV channels’ apology

    Government defers decision on TV channels’ apology

    NEW DELHI: The Indian government deferred a decision on cracking the whip on TV channels airing surrogate liquor and tobacco advertisements.

    A communiqué from the information and broadcasting ministry to TV channels said that the decision on airing a public apology from 18-21 August has been deferred.
    The ministry communication also added that a decision on airing of surrogate ads relating to liquor and tobacco companies would be taken by a “competent authority” at a later date.

    The ministry of Information and Broadcasting had earlier this month issued a warning to 43 channels directing them to carry a scroll for three days regretting airing surrogate advertisements of liquor and tobacco products in violation of rules.

    The ministry, however, did not elaborate on the competent authority that will decide on such matters or when would such an authority come into existence.

    Broadcasting industry sources said that this was an outcome of effective lobbying with the ministry.

    On Monday, broadcast industry representatives met up with I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and ministry’s secretary SK Arora to discuss various aspects of a proposed broadcast legislation, a draft of which has been dubbed “draconian” by stakeholders.

    One of the issues discussed that day was airing of an apology by ‘errant’ TV channels, which was described as public humiliation.

    Interestingly, when confronted with the apology issue, Dasmunsi had told some of the media companies’ representatives that he wasn’t aware of such a diktat.

    The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) had also written to the ministry expressing member-TV channels’ reservations on the issue of scrolling an apology.

    The scroll that was to be aired 24-hours for three days read thus: “Ministry of information & broadcasting issues a warning to X (name) channel for telecasting surrogate advertisements of liquor/tobacco products in violation of advertising code. X (name) channel regrets this and apologies for the same. We assure to be more careful in future.”

    Meanwhile, a government-industry meeting on coverage of terrorism and related issues by TV news channels, slated to be held 18 August, was postponed.

    No further date has been intimated to TV channels presently.

    The meeting, called in the aftermath of bomb blasts in Mumbai recently, was to deliberate on the modalities of coverage of terrorism-related events.

    At least two Indian news channels had been issued show-cause notices by the I&B ministry for airing programmes, which have been “objected” to by security forces and the home ministry.

  • I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    I&B minister Dasmunsi hints at major revamp of draft broadcast bill

    NEW DELHI: You can kiss the Broadcast Services Regulation Bill 2006 – a draft of which is doing the rounds of various ministries and industry stakeholders these days – goodbye, Well, almost.

    “Whenever I bring a Bill to Parliament, it’d be the most media-friendly legislation in the whole world,” information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi today said, hinting that the draft is likely to go undergo major revamp.

    Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Cabinet briefing, Dasmunsi added that proper consultation with various stake holders would be held before draft legislation is taken to the Union Cabinet or Parliament.

    Asked by indiantelevision.com whether the Broadcast Bill 2006 would be tabled in Parliament during the forthcoming monsoon session, the minister said the endeavour be so “after holding discussions with everybody.”

    “Our effort and endeavour would be to do so during this session and if that does not happen, then we’ll see in the next session. We would not do anything to gag the media,” Dasmunsi explained, making it clear that the government has taken serious view of the all round stringent criticism of a draft media legislation.

    The monsoon session of Parliament begins on 24 July and there seems little time left to hold proper discussions with the industry on the Bill, which has been drafted surreptiously and left the players stumped when unraveled by a section of the media.

    Making an overt bid to keep in good humour the media, which came in for praise from the Cabinet today for its sensitive coverage of the serial Mumbai blasts earlier this week, Dasmunsi said, “All fears (of broadcast industry) will be removed.”

    Proposals on cross media restrictions, powers bestowed on authorities to take action against the media and TV channels on the flimsiest of grounds, content censorship (which is being drafted separately, but could be made part of this Bill or legislation at a later stage) are aimed at strangling the media and cripple business models in the name of safety against monopolistic trends.

    The proposed autonomous Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India (Brai) has been given powers in the Bill that permit it to run amok if interpreted incorrectly by it. What’s more, Brai’s chief executive would be a serving government official of additional secretary’s rank, drawing a salary from the government.

  • I&B minister to take CAS review meeting

    I&B minister to take CAS review meeting

    NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi will review developments on CAS vis-a-vis court cases.

    The meeting was scheduled to happen either today or early next week. Pointing out that the government is committed to implementing CAS, Dasmunsi told indiantelevision.com on Friday, “I’ll review CAS in a meeting and try to understand the issues that have beset it.”

    The minister however, refused to spell out in detail his agenda on CAS. “The ministry’s broad stand on CAS has been conveyed to the (Delhi) high court.”

    In a reply filed before the Delhi HC some days back, the government sought eight to nine months’ time to implement the court’s order on rolling out addressability in Indian cable homes in select cities.

    Dasmunsi also hinted that a big roadblock in the way of smooth implementation of CAS are the different voices in which the various industry stakeholders are speaking.

    “There hardly seems to be a consensus amongst them,” the minister said on the sidelines of a book release function in the capital.

    On 10 March 2006, the Delhi HC had directed the government to roll out CAS in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata within 30 days time.

    The directive came on a petition filed by a bunch of MSOs, including Hathway and INCablenet, alleging that a delay in implementing CAS since 2004 has resulted in huge financial losses to them.

    The I&B ministry held a series of meeting with the industry, NGOs and consumer bodies soon after the court order, but said in view of inconsistency in the approach of the stakeholders, more time would be needed to iron the differences.

    The next date of hearing of the CAS case is 24 May.

  • Former I&B minister Pramod Mahajan dead

    Former I&B minister Pramod Mahajan dead

    NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and former information & broadcasting (I&B) minister Pramod Mahajan passed away this afternoon at Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital following multiple organ failure.
    Mahajan, who was shot and grievously wounded by his youngest brother Pravin on the morning of 22 April after an argument at the BJP leader’s apartment in Mumbai’s upscale Worli area, had remained in a critical condition ever since the attack 12 days ago.

    The 56-year-old former I&B minister had three bullets lodged in his body and suffered what ultimately proved fatal damage to his liver, pancreas and intestines. Mahajan is survived by his wife and a son and daughter.

    Hinduja Hospital has been virtually under media seige these past days with television crews stationed there 24/7. Mahajan’s condition, which has had blanket coverage across all news channels, began deteriorating rapidly since yesterday and officials anounced his demise at 4:10 pm this evening.

    It was on Mahajan’s watch that Star India in 1998-99 made its first concerted effort to get a direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast service going with its ISkyB venture. Mahajan had in end-1998 indicated that DTH clearances would come within two-and-a-half months.

    Doordarshan’s news channel is also a brain child of Mahajan, who floated the idea in 1999. The idea of starting such a channel was mooted immediately after the BJP came to power in March 1998. Mahajan gave the green signal for starting the channel after he became I&B minister in December.

    It was also Mahajan who got the idea to upgrade the facilities of Kashmir DD centre to counter Pakistani propaganda unleashed by Pakistan’s state broadcaster PTV in 1999-2000. Though a dedicated Kashmir channel was started with the help of private broadcasters when Arun Jaitley became the I&B minister after Mahajan in 2000, the former had sanctioned a $100m package for the upgradation of DD Kashmir’s centre.

    After Mahajan was shifted to the telecom ministry, holding also the infotec portfolio, he expressly scotched an idea of merging the telecom and I&B ministry to form an ICE ministry for the proposed convergence era.

    It is not wise to make one out of three important ministries of telecom, information and broadcasting and information technology, especially in view of the amount of work involved and number of employees associated, Mahajan had said in his capacity as information technology & communication and parliamentary affairs minister, while opposing a merger of the three ministries.

    The media savvy Mahajan was also the brain behind the “India Shining” campaign that his party, which was then ruling at the Centre, used unsuccessfully to fight the last general elections in 2004.

  • Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    Govt role: CAS’ fate linked to political compulsions

    The Indian government (read the information and broadcasting ministry) is suddenly finding itself caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, which more often than not takes great pleasure in turning red.

     

    Sandwiched between a strident judiciary — justifiably so in the present circumstances — and the politics of running a coalition government with vocal allies (who seem to have a view on anything and everything), the Manmohan Singh regime is bound to find it difficult to implement a recent Delhi High Court order that in short says: implement conditional access system in the areas notified earlier by a previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition regime over 18 months ago.

     

    The I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders
    _____****_____

    State-level elections in April-May would compel the government to give a deep thought to the so-called concerns of regional politicians. And, decision-making gets that much tougher when one of the states going to the polls, West Bengal, is ruled by a Left party, which is also a crucial ally of the federal government in New Delhi.

     

    Though the Delhi High Court order exhorts the I&B ministry to rise above regional level party politics and not use ‘public interest’ to influence an executive order (the notification related to CAS rollout) passed by the federal government, reticent politicians would definitely try to have their own way. Don’t forget that the I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi’s parliamentary constituency lies in West Bengal and the street-smart politician has cut much of his political teeth in Bengal.

     

    With Kolkata in West Bengal, one of the metros targeted for CAS rollout, already swinging to the election tune, the I&B ministry would have to see how New Delhi’s Left-oriented allies react to the issue of CAS or ‘watching TV channels via a black box that would cost around Rs 3,000 (approximately $ 67),’ as some politicians are explaining addressability to the people.

     

    It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline
    _____****_____

    Though it hasn’t reached a crescendo, already there are murmurs amongst politicians of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), especially the local ones, on how CAS’ introduction around election time can be ‘disruptive’ and have telling effects on the electoral fortunes of the party in West Bengal.

     

    It is pertinent to note that the I&B ministry hasn’t yet held any talks with the various state governments where CAS is sought to be implemented. Nor have any meetings been held with industry stakeholders to discuss the issue in the light of the court’s observation.

     

    Apart from the West Bengal politicians, those representing the seven constituencies of Delhi in Parliament have already been petitioned by some cable operators on the ground that implementation of CAS might upset cable TV consumers of the National Capital Territory.

     

    With Delhi’s aam junta (hoi polloi) totally clueless on what CAS is all about — apart from what has been fed to them by politicians and the media — scepticism is bound to run all across on something new, which is not part of the basic infrastructure that is severely lacking here and making daily life that much more worrisome.

     

    And, the Congress-led Delhi government, trying to battle its own intra-party differences on demolition of illegal constructions all over Delhi (as directed by Delhi HC) that has left the denizens of the Capital fuming, the will to immediately implement another court order (on CAS) is definitely lacking.

     

    It would also be interesting to see how New Delhi could read the Delhi court order, which is not as simple as is being made out by many industry stakeholders — the benefits of CAS or addressability, notwithstanding.

     

    For the I&B ministry to plan a rollout of CAS as per the court order, it has to first revoke an executive order that suspended implementation of CAS.

     

    Now, here is the piece de resistance: the court order is silent on the fact whether addressability should be introduced, as per the prayer of the petitioners, ONLY in the south zones of the metro cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai in Maharashtra or the whole of the cities.

     

    After revoking an earlier notification, the federal government can stick to CAS’ introduction only in the south zones of the metros or interpret the court order as rollout in the whole of the cities. A clarification on the interpretation hasn’t been sought yet by the I&B ministry as there is a section that feels an appeal should be made against the present court order.

     

    If the government goes in for an appeal, which can turn out to be time consuming, then the timing of it would also be important. It can just be that the ministry goes in for an appeal one day ahead of the month-long court-mandated deadline.

     

    As things stand today, the government is keeping things fluid — deliberately so — to weigh all options, including the biggest challenge: political compulsions.