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Tag: MIB

  • MIB constitutes committee to review guidelines on TV rating agencies

    MIB constitutes committee to review guidelines on TV rating agencies

    KOLKATA: Amid the concerns raised over TV ratings system in India, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has constituted a committee to review guidelines on TV rating agencies. The ministry has published the notification on 4 November.

    In the notification, the ministry has stated that it has taken the decision after detailed deliberations by a parliamentary committee, committee on TRP constituted by MIB and recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    “Based on the operation of the guidelines for a few years, there is a need to have a fresh look on the guidelines particularly keeping in view the recent recommendations of TRAI, technological advancements/ interventions to address the system and further strengthening of the procedures for a credible and transparent rating system, a Committee is hereby constituted to study different aspects of the TV rating system in India as they have evolved over a period of time,” MIB stated.

    As per MIB order, the committee will be responsible for carrying out an appraisal of the existing system, examine TRAI recommendations, overall industry scenario along with addressing the needs of stakeholders. The committee will be chaired by Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati.

  • Neerja Sekhar replaces Atul Kumar Tiwari as MIB addl secretary

    Neerja Sekhar replaces Atul Kumar Tiwari as MIB addl secretary

    KOLKATA: The government today announced a major reshuffle at the level of addiitonal secretaries, accross ministries. Amongst the ones relevant to the broadcasting sector is the appointment of Neerja Sekhar as addiitonal secretary of the ministry of information & broadcasting. An announcement had been made on 22 September that five IAS officers of the Haryana cadre and one from Himachal Pradesh were are among the 51 officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) empanelled for additional Secretary level posts at the centre. And the The appointments committee of the cabinet approved their empanelment today. Sekhar replaces Atul Kumar Tiwari who has been moved as addiitonal secretary of the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship.

    Sekhar, a 1993 cadre IAS, was appointed as joint secretary of MIB in February 2020.

    Earlier this year, Amit Khare also started his second stint at MIB as secretary replacing Ravi Mittal.

    More to follow.

  • I&B ministry announces 8th National Community Radio Awards

    I&B ministry announces 8th National Community Radio Awards

    MUMBAI: The ministry of information and broadcasting has invited entries for the 8th National Community Radio Awards to encourage innovation and healthy competition amongst Community Radio Stations (CRSs). The ministry had instituted National Community Radio Awards in the year 2012 which were conferred to CRS every year. So far, seven Awards have been given.

    The 8th Community Radio Awards for the year 2020-21 announced by the I&B ministry will be divided into four categories: thematic award, most innovative community engagement award, promoting local culture award, and sustainability model award. Each category will have first, second and third prize of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively. The last date for receipt of entries is 31 October 2020.

    More details here.

    Details of Award Category

    A: Thematic Award: This award will be for the programmes having thematic focus, relevant to community. This implies that the program should be a series of at least 13 episodes on a particular theme that has relevance to the community. It could be sponsored or an initiative of the station. It should be addressing any issue pertaining to the need or interest of the community. It can focus on any sector- social, cultural, historical, financial or any other. The entries will have to clearly elucidate:

    a) Number of episodes produced

    b) Why the theme was chosen?

    c) How was the programme executed?

     d) Was the community involved?

     e) Details of the format used

    f) What was the local relevance of the programme in terms of impact and visible change?

     g) How was it sustained?

    h) Way forward

    Any case study or report on the program would help.

    B: Most Innovative Community Engagement Award: The basic objective of the community radio is to serve the cause of the community by involving members of the community in the broadcast of their programmes. By adopting new formats of programme, inclusion of traditional communication formats to convey development concerns to the community can bring greater impact. The program should be novel, original and innovative. It should have an element of community participation and relevance to community. Entries for this award must reflect engagement of community in the planning, content, production and broadcast of the programme. The entry should reflect the processes involved in bringing the community together for a broader engagement. The community should have been at the centre of this engagement process. The program should have enabled a collective change and helped create a movement within the community. It should have created a momentum to address any local concern. Entries accompanied with a list of outcomes achieved and solutions provided to community needs will be given preference. The entries should clearly explain following:

    a. Define the community it was targeted at

    b. How many episodes were produced?

    c. How was the engagement sustained?

    d. What innovative methods were adapted to make a programme?

    e. What was the level of participation of the community?

    f. How many people did the programme reach out to? What were the outreach activities undertaken?

     g. Documentation, if any

    h. Did it run in a campaign mode? Was it a onetime effort?

    i. How did you link the programming with the community?

     j. Impact on the community- how did you measure the same?

    C) Promoting Local Culture Award: (Preservation and promotion) Entries must incorporate local talent and tradition. Entries can be in any language but must be accompanied by a description of what efforts were made to promote local culture and a brief summary be provided in English/Hindi. The entry in this category should reflect the program's effort in improving local well-being. The program should have provided a sense of identity to the community. It could be based on common understanding, local traditions, and values and should have influenced the confidence of the local community. The effort of the program should have encouraged preservation and promotion of culture. For example, it could have revived a dying art, preserved a local monument, helped in architectural preservation of old buildings and Havelis, or use of local culture to mobilise the population, revival of traditional handicraft or culture-based entertainment etc. The program could be on cuisine, folk music, festivals or other cultural activities which have a sustained impact on the community. The entry should address following points:

    a. What was the focus of the programme?

    b. Why was it important?

    c. How did the programme help in reviving/ promoting the local culture?

    d. How many episodes did you produce?

     e. How was it sustained? How has the revival/preservation been visible?

     f. What was the impact or consequence of the programme?

    g. What was the format?

    h. Who will take responsibility in the community for taking the same forward?

    D: Sustainability Model Award: The purpose of this award is to encourage CRS to adopt innovative models to generate revenue for self-sustenance. Sustainability means that the station should have sustainability on four different counts: a. content b: human resources c: technical and d: financial. Audio clips need not to be submitted for this category, but documentary proofs will be required such as audited balance sheets of the organization/CRS etc. Sustainability will be measured on various parameters as given below:

    a)      Content sustainability- new programmes introduced

    b) Hours of broadcast and how does it compare to the previous year?

     c) How much is fresh broadcast and how much is repeat broadcast?

    d) Training and exposure of the team- has the team (community members) travelled or participated in any workshops/conferences?

    e) What is the Staff composition?

    f) Status of equipment sustainability/any breakdown etc

    g) What has been the engagement of the community?

     h) List of projects implemented

    i) Financial sustainability- sources and resources

    j) Total turnover

    k) Media coverage

    Any other documents- if relevant

    Community Radio is the third-tier broadcasting along with public and private radio broadcasting. At present, there are a total 302 Community Radio Stations (CRS) in the country. These CRS stations are playing a very important role in disseminating information especially in those areas where other media presence is limited.

  • DPIIT issues clarification on 26% FDI in digital media

    DPIIT issues clarification on 26% FDI in digital media

    KOLKATA: While significant growth in media is coming from digital media consumption, the government amended the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy last year. As a part of the reform, it had announced an approval of  26 per cent FDI in digital media. However, there was a lack of clarity about the niggling details. 

    Mire than a year later, the department for the promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) has thrown some further light on it:

    The rule would apply to :

    ·   Entities uploading/ streaming news and current affairs on websites, apps, other platforms;

    ·    News agencies which supply news to digital media entities and/or news aggregators;

    ·    News aggregators which, using software / web applications, aggregate content from various sources in one location.

    These news organisations would be required to align their FDI to 26 per cent level with governmental the approval, within a year from today. To comply with the FDI policy, the majority of directors on the board of the company and CEO should be Indian citizens.

    "Security nod must for foreign personnel deployed for more than 60 days in India if security nod for any foreign personnel gets denied, the employee has to resign/employment terminated," DPIIT said.

    In this context, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has announced that it will consider in the near future to extend the following benefits, presently available to traditional media (print and TV), to such entities also:

    ·      PIB accreditation for its reporters, cameramen, videographers enabling them with better first-hand information and access including participation in official press conference and such other interactions.

    ·     Persons with PIB accreditation can also avail CGHS benefits and concessional rail fare as per the extant procedure.

    ·     Eligibility for digital advertisements through Bureau of Outreach and Communication.

    Moreover, MIB has suggested forming a similar self-regulating body in digital media like print and electronic media.

  • MIB advises private TV channels to abide by programme code

    MIB advises private TV channels to abide by programme code

    KOLKATA: A new trend in reportage of recent incidents has put media into the spotlight for violating basic ethics. Amid the strong criticism that the industry is facing, the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has issued an advisory asking all the channels to abide by the programme and advertising codes.

    Read more news on MIB

    The ministry has emphasised on the provisions that restrict programmes containing anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths; criticizes, maligns or slander any individuals in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country.

    It has also mentioned a recent case in the Delhi High Court which issued a notice following a petition by the actor Rakul Preet Singh. The court also stated that it hoped that media houses and TV channels would show restraint and abide by the program code and other guidelines while making any report in connection with the actor.

    At that time, the high court also directed Prasar Bharati and News Broadcasters Association, apart from the centre, to consider Singh's petition, " as a representation and decide it expeditiously, including any interim direction that ought to be made.”

  • MIB issues SOPs for cinema halls

    MIB issues SOPs for cinema halls

    NEW DELHI: After keeping industry stakeholders on tenterhooks for months, the ministry of information & broadcasting last week announced the opening of theatres across India from 15 October. As part of the government’s Unlock 5.0 plan, cinema halls will operate at 50 per cent seating capacity. Stakeholders welcomed the decision and look forward to reviving the business in the face of persistent challenges.

    Today, the ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) shared SoPs for the exhibition industry to prevent the spread of Covid2019. The ministry has clearly stated that movies will not be showcased at theatres in containment zones; film exhibition activities through cinemas/theatres/multiplexes shall be governed in accordance with pre-existing guidelines issued by the MHA and health ministry. In addition, states and UTs can propose extra measures as per their field assessment. 

     

     

    SOPs related to Exhibition of films 

    General Guidelines 

    The generic measures include public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid2019. These measures need to be observed by everyone (workers and visitors) at all times. 

    These include: 

    ·       Adequate physical distancing of at least 6 feet to be followed outside the auditoriums, common areas and waiting areas at all times. 

    ·       Use of face covers/masks to be made mandatory at all times.

    ·       Availability of hand sanitizers, preferably in the touch-free mode, at entry and exit points as well as common areas within the premises.

    ·       Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing off used tissues properly. 

    ·       Self-monitoring of health by all and reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline. 

    ·       Spitting shall be strictly prohibited. 

    ·       Installation and use of Aarogya Setu app shall be advised to all.

    Entry and Exit Points 

    ·       Thermal screening of visitors/staff is to be carried out at entry points. Only asymptomatic individuals shall be allowed to enter the premises.

    ·       Provisions for hand sanitization should be made available at all entry points and in work areas. 

    ·       Designated queue markers shall be made available for entry and exit of the audience from the auditorium and the premises. 

    ·       Exit should be done in a staggered row-wise manner to avoid crowding. 

    ·       Sufficient time interval between successive screenings on a single screen as well as on various screens in a multiplex shall be provided to ensure row-wise staggered entry and exit of the audience. 

    Seating Arrangements 

    ·       The occupancy of the cinemas/theatres/multiplexes shall not be more than 50 per cent of their total seating capacity. 

    ·       Seating arrangement inside the auditorium of the cinemas/theatres/multiplexes to be made in such a way that adequate physical distancing is maintained.

    ·       Seats that are “Not to be occupied” shall be marked as such during booking (for both online booking and at the box office sale of tickets). 

    (Note: The “Not to be occupied” seats inside cinemas/theatres/multiplexes should either be taped or marked with fluorescent markers to prevent people from occupying these seats so as to ensure adequate physical distancing at all times.) 

    Physical Distancing Norms 

    ·       Proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises—duly following physical distancing norms shall be ensured.

    ·       Number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining physical distancing norms. 

    ·       Efforts shall be made to avoid overcrowding in the common areas, lobbies and washrooms during the intermission. Audience may be encouraged to avoid movement during the intermission. Longer intermissions may be used to allow audience seated in different rows of the auditorium to move in a staggered manner.

    Staggered Show Timings at Multiplexes 

    ·       Staggered show timings shall be followed for multiple screens to avoid crowding. 

    ·       The show commencement time, intermission period and finish time of a  show at any screen shall not overlap with the commencement time,  intermission period or finish time of a show at any other screen in a  multiplex. 

    Booking and Payments 

    ·       Digital no-contact transactions should be the most preferred mode for  issue/verification/payments for tickets, food, and beverages, etc. by using online bookings, use of e-wallets, QR code scanners, etc. 

    ·       Contact number shall be taken at the time of booking of tickets to facilitate contact tracing. 

    ·       The purchase of tickets at the box office shall be open throughout the day and advance booking shall be allowed to avoid crowding at the sale counters. 

    ·       Sufficient number of counters at the box office shall be opened with  adequate physical distancing norms, to prevent crowding during physical booking of tickets. 

    ·       Floor markers shall be used for physical distancing during queue management at the box office. 

    Sanitization of the Premises 

    ·       Frequent sanitization of the entire premises, common facilities, and all  points which come into human contact, e.g. handles, railings, etc. shall be ensured.  

    ·       The cinemas/theatres/multiplexes auditorium shall be sanitized after every screening.  

    ·       Regular cleaning and disinfection of the box office, food and beverage  areas, employee and staff lockers, toilets, public areas, and back-office areas shall be ensured. 

    ·       Measures for the safety of sanitization staff such as adequate provisions for rational use of gloves, boots, masks, PPE, etc. shall be undertaken. 

    ·       Disinfection of the premises to be taken up if any person is found positive. 

    Staff Related Measures 

    ·       Wearing of face cover for staff is mandatory at all workplaces and  adequate stock of such face covers should be made available.

    ·       All employees who are at higher risk, i.e., older employees, pregnant employees, employees who have underlying medical conditions, to take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public. 

    ·       With a view to ensure safety at the workplace, employers on best-effort  basis should ensure that Aarogya Setu app is installed and updated by all employees their mobile phones. 

    ·       Communication and training of the staff on precautions related to COVID-19, respiratory hygiene, hand hygiene, etc. shall be carried out. 

    ·       Self-monitoring of health by all employees/staff and reporting any illness at the earliest shall be ensured.  

    Public Awareness 

    ·       Do’s and don’ts shall be communicated at prominent access points: Online sale points, digital tickets, public areas like lobbies, washrooms, etc. 

    ·       Public Service Announcements on wearing mask, observing physical  distancing and maintaining hand hygiene as well as specific announcements on the precautions and measures to be followed within and outside the premises shall be made before the screening, during intermission and at the end of the screening.  

    ·       Provisions must be made for display of Posters/standees/AV media on  preventive measures about COVID-19 prominently outside and inside of the venues. 

    Air-Conditioning/Cooling 

    For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which, inter alia, emphasizes the following: 

    ·       Temperature Setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30°C. 

    ·       Relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70 per cent. 

    ·       Re-circulation of air to be avoided to the extent possible. 

    ·       In-take of fresh air should be as much as possible. 

    ·       Cross ventilation should be adequate. 

    Anti-stigma Behaviour  

    COVID-19 related stigmatization or unruly behaviour shall be dealt with strictly by coordination between the auditorium manager(s) and the local authorities.

    Food and Beverage Area 

    ·       Show timings in the cinema halls to be staggered to ensure that intervals of different shows do not occur simultaneously. 

    ·       Customers shall be encouraged to use cinema apps/QR codes, etc. for ordering food as much as possible. 

    ·       Multiple sale counters in food and beverage area be made available wherever possible. 

    ·       One line systems to be followed using floor stickers to maintain physical distancing at every sale counter. 

    ·       Only packaged food and beverages shall be allowed. 

    ·       Delivery of food and beverage inside the hall/auditorium shall be prohibited. 

    ·       Management shall ensure observance of physical distancing and preventing crowds in the food and beverages area. 

    ·       Safe disposal of the food and beverage waste shall be ensured by the management of the premises. 

    The national directives for Covid2019 management and the relevant guidelines issued by the ministry of information & broadcasting, ministry of Health & Family Welfare, state governments, etc. shall be strictly complied with during all activities and operations. 

  • The challenges & opportunities before incoming TRAI chairman PD Vaghela

    The challenges & opportunities before incoming TRAI chairman PD Vaghela

    KOLKATA: As the extended five-year term of Ram Sewak Sharma as chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) concludes today (30 September), industry will be looking closely at his replacement, PD Vaghela. The Gujarat cadre 1986 batch IAS officer is the outgoing  pharma department secretary who celebrated his sixtieth birthday on 22 September. Prior to that, he was the chief commissioner of commercial tax in Gujarat. He is also believed to have played an important role in the roll out of the goods and service tax in 2017. Also

    Vaghela is taking the chair at what can be termed a very crucial time for both the telecom and broadcasting sectors. While his predecessor has been widely criticised by stakeholders for over-regulating, Vaghela will have to bring more balance if he wants to narrow down the gap and sense of distrust between industry and the regulator.

    A task which could be challenging as he apparently has not had much to do with the broadcasting sector during his 34 years of being a civil servant. A B.Com graduate from Gujarat, he has masters degree from an institute in the The Hague, a post-graduation in business administration and finally a doctorate in sociology.

    Vaghela has held senior positions in the Kandla Port Trust, with Gujarat tourism, with the industries and mines department, the rural development department, as municipal commissioner (Bhavnagar), and in the home ministry.

    Read more news on TRAI

    One school of thought in the industry is that given his background and the circumstances during his appointment, Vaghela will mostly follow Sharma’s path during his tenure.

    At this moment, broadcasters are indulged in legal battles with the industry watchdog on many fronts including the ad cap and the amended new tariff order.

    A senior executive at one of the big four broadcasters says while the court’s verdict will have to be implemented by both broadcasters and the TRAI, Vaghela’s first challenge will be the direction TRAI will take once the litigation between industry and the regulator is adjudicated upon.  According to him, the new chairman has to also look after the viability of small cable operators who are worried about their future.

    The executive also adds that everyone is now perceiving broadband, not broadcasting, as the future of entertainment. Hence, he adds that the new chairperson can play an important role in carefully steering the future of the broadcasting industry.

    While there is a high chance that a number of consumers will shift to IP-based streaming content via OTT services, Vaghela will have to tread carefully, balancing digitisation and safeguarding traditional broadcasters’ interests.

     “The RS Sharma regime has failed broadcasters. He served an important role in UIDAI implementation. Hence, we had huge expectations from him but we have been disappointed at the end,” a senior industry source states. 

     Although the executive is not very optimistic about the new chairman being able to dilute this sentiment, he thinks the industry should at least observe him for the next few months, before pronouncing any judgements.

    However, another industry veteran claims Vaghela is quite likely going to continue to carry on in the same vein as Sharma. Like his peers in the industry, he acknowledges that there have been frequent changes in regulation which have been challenging, but he also credits Sharma for bringing in some semblance of order in to the TV distribution ecosystem.

    Read more news on NTO 2.0

    “There was so much of scrapping between MSOs, LCOs and broadcasters,” he says. “By pushing cable TV digitisation and mandating some sort of price standardisation through regulation, he forced the industry’s hand to try and work together, which they are doing currently. Yes, there is some irritation from time to time, but the value chain is working closer together, keeping rules modernisation, upgradation and customer service in mind.”

    The veteran also adds that Sharma played a large role in pushing ahead the Narendra Modi-led government’s digitisation agenda, by allowing new pricing models as far as mobility is concerned. “The Jio phenomenon of cheap data, free calls, has been a game changer for the spread of the internet where incumbents such as Airtel and Vodafone and Idea were working with legacy business and consumer models.”

    The CEO of a TV network points out that even though the court cases against NTO 2.0 continue in the courts, Vaghela will very much have to “balance value for consumers with the interest of broadcasters along with operators. He will also possibly play a significant role in OTT legislation as the government is gearing up its efforts to regulate this rapidly growing vertical.”

    “Along with working on major rollouts like 5G implementation, enhancing fibre-to-home broadband connectivity across the country on the telecom side, Vaghela can choose to leave his mark as far as cable TV amendments, a national broadcaster policy, DTH licensing are concerned. Additionally, he could things take a step further and start looking at drawing up a national video policy encompassing TV, streaming, and possibly mobile delivery of video,” says the CEO.

    On the telecom side, Vaghela has contentious issues like super high 5G pricing (at Rs 492 crore per MHz in the 3500 Mhz band) which could deter the ailing telecom service providers(TSPs)  from making a bid. The adjusted gross revenue ruling has gone against at least two of them who have been reeling courtesy the price war that Jio has waged for the past few years. The consultation paper on whether a floor price needs to be put in place for telecom services will also take up his attention. Then, he will have to decide on interconnect usage charges that TSPs charge each other for calls made by customers. They are due to be scrapped by early next year.

    Of course, he will have a bunch of old hands who have been at the regulator for a few years. There’s the TRAI secretary Sunil Gupta, and numerous other advisers who provided back end support for almost every decisive direction, recommendation, and regulation the watchdog has given over the years. How he takes their advice and inputs and formulate these into law for broadcasting and telecom will decide whether he will be blessed or vilified by the industry.

    (This piece has been penned following conversations with real executives from the business of television. Most of them requested that their identity be kept secret while using their quotes and views in this piece) 

  • MIB expresses dissatisfaction with IAMAI’s self-regulatory model for OTT platforms

    MIB expresses dissatisfaction with IAMAI’s self-regulatory model for OTT platforms

    KOLKATA: While all the major OTT players have agreed to come under the ambit of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)’s self-regulation guidelines recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has expressed its dissatisfaction with the model.

    Earlier this month, IAMAI unveiled the ‘Universal Self-Regulation Code’ for Online Curated Content Providers (OCCPs) in India. The first set of signatories included Zee5, Viacom 18, Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, MX Player, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, Alt Balaji, Arre, HoiChoi, Hungama, Shemaroo, Discovery Plus, Flickstree. Later, Lionsgate play and SonyLIV also came on board. 

    According to media reports, IAMAI has been informed of the disapproval of MIB in a letter from the ministry. MIB has asked the organisation to look at other self-regulatory models. Previously, IAMAI had written to the ministry for its guidance and support in implementing the self-regulatory code. 

    “The proposed self-regulatory mechanism lacks independent third-party monitoring, does not have a well-defined Code of Ethics, does not clearly enunciate prohibited content, and at the second and third-tier level there is an issue of conflict of interest,” the ministry stated in the letter.

    MIB has also observed that the model does not classify prohibited content.  Moreover, the second tier advisory panel is constituted by OCCP itself rather than having an independent oraginsation.    

    IAMAI has also been advised to look at the structures of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) and News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) as guiding principles.

  • MIB issues advisory to curb surrogate advertising

    MIB issues advisory to curb surrogate advertising

    NEW DELHI: Surrogate Advertising has been a very old debate in the India’s advertising industry. An alcohol brand can advertise in the garb of music CD or a gutka brand can talk about the great taste of saffron and circumvent the advertising code. The rule thus aims at prohibiting surrogate advertisements while at the same time allowing advertisements of genuine brand extensions subject to specified conditions. 

    Rule 7(2)(vih)(A) of the Advertising Code enshrined under Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 prohibits direct or indirect advertisements of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants. However, advertisements of genuine products sharing a brand name or logo of such products are permissible subject to specified conditions prescribed therein.

    Time and again, industry people and government institutions have debated the matter on various industry platforms but not much output has come. Several activists and common citizens have also complained about surrogate ads from various categories running on national television but not much could have been done about it.

    Over the years, brands have circumvented the rule to create a massive reach of their products via their brand extensions.

    The latest advisory issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcast states that such ads have to be first previewed by Central Board of Film Certification before telecast and deemed to be fit for consumption.

    “Second proviso of Rule 7(2)(vhi)(A) provides that such advertisement has to be previewed and certified by Central Board of Film Certification as suitable for unrestricted public exhibition and are in accordance with stipulated conditions,” stated the advisory.

    The focus of this advisory was mostly on brands related to the cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants. The advisory clearly stated that “It is accordingly advised that all advertisements of the nature referred to at para 2 above strictly follow the stipulations contained in the Rules and are previewed and certified by Central Board of Film certification (CBFC) before being telecast on Television.”

    The decision is expected to create a strong impact on the brands for this industry because many of these players have emerged as the top advertisers of the country. 

  • Co-production Treaty to take India-Italy cooperation to a new level: Minister, MIB

    Co-production Treaty to take India-Italy cooperation to a new level: Minister, MIB

    Mr Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, on Monday said that the Venice Film festival has stood as a symbol of recognition of cinematic excellence at an international platform. “Participation of India in Venice Film Festival 2020 as a focus country has brought India and Italy closer by opening immense possibilities of co-production in film making and further bolstering the historical ties the two cultural superpowers have enjoyed for centuries,” he said. 

    In his address at the Venice Film Festival 2020, where India is the focus country this year, Mr Javadekar said, “It is with great pleasure, I announce that India and Italy have agreed on the Rules of Procedure for Co-production Treaty and it is hoped that it will take our joint collaboration to a new level.”  

    The Minister stressed that “Cinema not only showcases cultural mores but also brings countries closer.” Mr Javadekar said that cinema is a soft power that helps to forge international ties. Inviting Italian filmmakers for filming in India, he said, “Filming in India is an experience by itself and I invite everybody to come and shoot and to do pre-production as we have experienced crew members and facilities and very scenic spots. This year we are participating in the Venice Film market to showcase what India has to offer.” 

    This year two Indian feature films and one short film are being screened at the Venice Film Festival. India is also screening a film as market screening in Venice Production Bridge named ‘In the land of Poisoned Woman’ by Manu Bohra.   

    Speaking at the event, Mr Manlio Di Stefano, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italian Government, said, “The relationship of India and Italy in film production is in line with the great work the two countries are doing to strengthen the bilateral collaboration, which is very advantageous for Italy given that India is a cultural giant, which is a great resource for other countries that can go beyond commercial exchanges.” 

    Acknowledging the growing Indian film market with one of the largest cinema industries in the world, Mr Di Stefano said, “India will be one of the most important global powers in 10 years from now despite the difficulties posed by COVID.” He added that India and Italy share a strong bilateral relationship marked by several meetings that have “widened our collaboration in many fields”, including culture and cinema. 

    “We have two major pillars on which we would like to develop our collaboration- Co-productions and shooting locations” to develop products for both Indian and Italian people as “it is not easy to define identity in cinema,” Mr Di Stefano said. He also added that “we should aim at productions that can tell about a territory through a story and not through documentaries that how good we are here in Italy”. 

    Italy, Mr Di Stefano said, has “included India among our target countries both for productions and to attract tourists. So, India is at the centre of our campaign one of which is ‘Living in Italian Style’”.  He also added that Italy has an integrated package for coproduction, and funds (more than 60 million Euros) are made available by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to its embassies across the world in order to promote sectors like cinema.  

    Addressing the film festival via video conferencing, H.E. Vincenzo De Luca, the Ambassador of Italy to India said Italy participated at FIICI Frames 2020 as a virtual partner and “we presented the possibilities of co-productions in Italy and India”. He added that “today we can take a further step forward by creating a partnership that is not limited to isolated events, but which creates a permanent collaboration between Italian and Indian cinema”. 

    Citing historical relationships when noted filmmaker Satyajit Ray won a Golden Lion award in 1957 and the movie ‘Monsoon Wedding’ in 2001, he said that we should let the new Indian cinema be known in Italy. “Starting with FICCI Frames in June this year, we have to build a common partnership, a long-lasting partnership to exchange productions,” the Ambassador added.  

    Ms TCA Kalyani, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India & MD, NFDC, said, "The rules of procedures that we were to announce at FICCI Frames have finally been made," which will give incentives to filmmakers choosing to shoot in India, she said. She also added that India will soon be announcing the rules of procedures for champion sectors and "we have also announced the SOPs and guidelines for filming in India". 

    Ms Kalyani also said that Media and Entertainment is a sunrise sector in India. She invited the overseas filmmakers to come and shoot in India "once the aviation restrictions are lifted".

    Mr Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI, said, "Italy participated in the 21st edition of the FICCI Frames this year as a partner country and I was truly amazed by their content and production capabilities, which I am sure enabled many Indian filmmakers and people in India to realize and see at first hand the opportunity that Italy presents and the possibilities of collaboration between India and Italy.”

    He further added that FICCI is delighted to partner with ANICA and the Embassy of Italy in India to organize a session focusing on India at Venice Film Festival. "This is the first time that such a platform has been set at the prestigious Venice Film Festival to discuss and promote relations between India and Italy in the area of filmmaking which needs to be continued in the future. This platform has provided an opportunity for India to connect with a global audience and reach out for further film production partnerships." 

    A session on ‘Challenges and Opportunities between India and Italy in Fi­lm Making was moderated by Mr Bobby Bedy, Filmmaker and Managing Director, Kaleidoscope Entertainment. The participants in this session included Ms TCA Kalyani, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India & MD, NFDC (TBC); Mr Ritesh Batra, Indian Filmmaker; Mr Goutam Ghose, Indian Filmmaker; Sergio Scapagnini, Italian Filmmaker; and Mr Ashish Pherwani, Partner, Media & Entertainment, EY. 

    The panel discussed various emerging trends in the Indian Media and Entertainment sector and the opportunities and challenges for cinema in the post-COVID-19 world, including SOPs that have been put in place to start film productions after a gap of several months.