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Tag: NBSA

  • NBSA gives date & time to news channels to air apology in Sushant Singh Rajput coverage

    NBSA gives date & time to news channels to air apology in Sushant Singh Rajput coverage

    NEW DELHI: After directing the electronic news channels Aaj Tak, Zee News, News 24 and India TV to comply with its previous order of apologising on-air for their ‘insensitive coverage’ of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death by suicide, the News Broadcasting Standard of India (NBSA) has now given the channels specific date and time to air their statements. 

    While Aaj Tak is asked to air an apology on 27 October at 8.00 pm, India TV is required to do so on the same night at 9.00, and News 24 on 29 October at 9.oo pm. Zee News has been ordered to apologise publicly for sensationalising the actor's death.

    Aaj Tak will also have to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh for attributing fake tweets to the late actor. The authority has said, “The broadcaster should have conducted its due diligence and verification prior to telecasting/uploading the tweets and not subsequently, which due diligence is a basic tenet and requirement of journalistic ethics and telecasting the tweets without verification had the tendency of spreading misinformation amongst the public."

    The NBSA had found the news channels in violation of its specific guidelines vide order dated 6 October 2020 and had asked them to apologise in public for the same. It was told that the text, date and time of the apology will be given to the broadcasters.

  • NBSA advises news channels to use social media content after thorough verification

    NBSA advises news channels to use social media content after thorough verification

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has advised member broadcasters of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) to verify any content used from social media platforms in their news programmes at the highest editorial levels before being telecast in the wake of the recent supreme court order regarding news related to Covid19 coverage.

    “In particular, we expect the media (print, electronic or social) to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated. A daily bulletin by the government of India through all media avenues including social media and forums to clear the doubts of people would be made active within a period of 24 hours as submitted by the solicitor general of India. We do not intend to interfere with the free discussion about the pandemic, but direct the media to refer to and publish the official version about the developments,” the apex court stated.  

    NBSA said under these circumstances member broadcasters could also consider telecasting the positives steps being taken by various individuals/ persons/ entities / governments and all medical personnel in order that objective, balanced, accurate and impartial news gets telecast.  

    It also added that the issue that the supreme court has touched upon relates to “fake news” whether intended or not, published either by electronic, print or social media which will  cause panic in the society. The court observed that the media should maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic is not disseminated.

    “News media plays a critical role during public health emergencies by providing reassurance, bringing calm, motivating people to overcome the crisis and in bringing their lives back to normal. Inaccurate information can lead to rumours and misinformation, resulting in panic and chaos,” the advisory highlighted.

  • Zee News may challenge NBSA order on ‘Afzal Premi Gang…”

    Zee News may challenge NBSA order on ‘Afzal Premi Gang…”

     MUMBAI: Self-regulatory news broadcasters authority NBSA has asked the Hindi news channel Zee News to pay Rs 1 lakh as a fine for the report titled ‘Afzal Premi Gang ka Mushaira’, telecast an apology on 8 September and remove the programme video from Zee website.

    In the report, Zee News had referred to Urdu poet and scientist Gauhar Raza as anti-national and a supporter of Afzal Guru who was convited and hanged for 2001 Parliament attack. The channel had telecast one of the poetry recitals of Raza along with the footage of the controversial Jawaharlal Nehru University protests of February 2016.

    Zee Media editor Sudhir Chaudhary meanwhile denied violation of NBSA guidelines. The channel, Chaudhary said, was contemplating legal remedies including challenging NBSA order, Mint reported.

    Acting on two complaints one by Raza in April 2016 and a joint complaint filed by the singer Shubha Mudgal, actor Sharmila Tagore, poet Ashok Vajpeyi and writer Syeda Hameed, the NBSA chairperson retired justice R.V. Raveendran, in an order dated 31 August, stated that the channel had breached the NBSA guidelines.

    NBSA, at a meeting held on 10 January 2017, after viewing the CD, considering the submissions  and  examining  the  matter,  was of  the view that  the broadcaster (Zee) had breached  the guidelines  relating to accuracy, impartiality, neutrality, which  required “TV  news channels  must provide  for neutrality  by offering  equality for all affected parties, players and actors in any dispute  or conflict  to present  their point  of  view” and “news  channels  must  strive to ensure  that allegations  are not  portrayed  as fact and charges are not conveyed as an act of guilt”,  fairness, objectivity and privacy as also the “Guidelines on broadcast of potential defamatory content”; that  the broadcaster had  failed to give an opportunity to Prof   Gauhar  Raza, who  was being reported upon,  to give his version/views; that broadcasting a programme using  the footage of  the JNU  incidents  with  the  poetry  recital of  Prof  Raza and  giving title to  the programme as “Afzal Premi Gang ka Mushaira” was highly inappropriate and derogatory as mere reference  by Prof  Gauhar  Raza while reciting his poetry  to “Kanhaiya”, “Nehru University” & “Rohit Vemula”,  could not be a ground to brand the poet,  the organisers  of  the Mushaira  and the audience  as “Afzal Premi  Gang”; and  that  branding  all  the participants/audience  who  attended  the  Mushaira  as belonging to a “gang” who admired Afzal Guru, when Gauhar Raza in his poetry recital did not even mention or refer to Afzal Guru, was unwarranted.”

    The request of  the complainant for award of compensation  of Rs.10 million for loss of reputation, and consequences of incitement of hatred and ill-will against him, was not considered, “being beyond the jurisdiction of NBSA.”

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  • MIB report: 50% digital STBs seeded during DAS’ first three phases

    NEW DELHI: If the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is to be believed, then first three phases of on going rollout of digital addressable system have already accounted for 50 per cent of digitisation as out of targeted 140 million set-top-box requirement, 70 million have been installed. Evolving ground realities may be different, however.

    The catch in the MIB’s annual report for 2016-17, put on the ministry’s website Thursday, is that the government has taken the Census 2011 as the base for calculating the total number of TV households in India, which has been pegged at 117 million. Adding an incremental 20 per cent for multiple TV homes and TV sets at offices and other places like restaurants, etc, MIB states total requirement for boxes was 140 million — a figure that may be different from ground realities.

    “Total STBs required by adding 20 per cent provision for multiple TV (sets) in houses and TVs in offices/shops is 14 crore (140 million),” MIB’s annual report says, while adding that in digitisation’s first three out of the total four phases, “7 crore (70 million) STBs have already been installed.”

    However, in an evolving world while BARC’s latest data, unveiled February 2017, estimates the Indian TV households at 183 million, the MIB annual report itself quotes, at another place, a FICCI-KPMG report of 2016 as India being “the world’s second largest TV market after China” having “175 million TV households…”

    The MIB report goes on elaborate that the first two phases of digitisation achieved 30 million seeding of boxes, while estimating the requirement for boxes for ongoing Phase IV, which comprises small towns and villages in rural hinterlands of India, to be 70 million.

    But amidst these confounding and confusing numbers being bandied around by the government, it admits that digitisation, pushed by MIB and regulator TRAI since 2012, has increased tax collections both for the State and the Central governments.

    Pointing out that cable TV digitisation has brought transparency in the whole eco-system, making it difficult for MSOs and LCOs to under-declare subscriber base and evade taxes, the MIB report highlights, entertainment tax collection in states increased from Rs. 157 crore (Rs. 1570 million)  in 2012-13 to Rs. 358 crore (Rs. 3580 million) in 2015-16.

    Further, the government also admits that digital cable TV networks were vital infrastructure for penetration of broadband through which e-government services could be deployed. Listing out the benefits of digitisation, the MIB report says, “(Though) no formal impact assessment of the cable TV digitisation has been carried out, data has been collected from different stakeholders, which indicates…major benefits from digitisation have started accruing.”

    The benefits are not restricted to government in the form of tax revenues, but also increased choice to consumers, including HD channels. “From the data received from the MSOs, it is observed that in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, on an average, 300 SD and 20 HD channels are being carried by each MSO. Subscribers have choice to choose from these large numbers of channels…not possible in an analog regime,” MIB clarifies.

    Action Taken Report on Complaints Against TV Channels

    During the period 1 April 2016 to 21 December 2016, MIB issued advisories, warnings and orders to TV channels on receiving complaints from various sections of the population.

    There was one general advisory given to news &current affairs TV channels regarding telecast of incidents related to Cauvery water dispute with due caution and restraint; nine specific advisories to adhere to the Programme & Advertising Codes; four warnings directing the TV channel to strictly comply with programme and advertising norms and three orders to TV channels to go off air for varying number of days.

    According to the MIB, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), as part of its self-regulation mechanism, has formulated a Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards. The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) received and considered 1,451 complaints from 2014 to July, 2016 and passed 26 orders. It also issued one guideline and nine advisories.

    The Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC), according to MIB, received 16,257 complaints from 16 April, 2014 to 20th June, 2016. During the period April, 2015 to July, 2016 industry-formed advertising regulator ASCI received and considered 2,020 complaints against advertisements, upholding 1,271 of them.

    Transponder Capacity Constraints

    While enumerating the highlights, achievements and also hurdles in the Indian broadcast and cable sector, MIB holds out some hope for all those Indian users of  satellite services that capacity crunch could get addressed

    “There is some constraint with regard to availability of transponder capacities, but it is expected that with greater demand will also come the supply,” MIB says without divulging how the growing demand for satellite capacity would be met.

    User s of satellite services in India, including teleports, DTH ops and Vsat players, have been severely constrained by lack of KU-band transponders as India’s space agency ISRO has not been able to fill the demand-supply gap despite several launches, while steadfastly refusing to ease norms for renting capacity on foreign satellites.

  • NDTV India has been singled out: NBA

    NDTV India has been singled out: NBA

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has issued a press release that it is concerned with the decision taken by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MoI&B) to prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel, a national channel, for a day on any platform throughout India w.e.f 00:01hrs on 9 November 2016 till 00:01hrs of 10 November 2016 ostensibly for the channel’s coverage of the Pathankot terror attack on 2.1.2016 on the ground that the channel gave out sensitive information to the handlers of terrorists.

    It is surprising to note that NDTV India has been singled out by the IMC/ MoI&B, when the rest of the media also did cover the terror attack and all such reports were available in the public domain. The IMC and the MoI&B should have seen it from the prism of freedom of the media, which is guaranteed in the constitution and not gone strictly by the regulations under the Cable Act, NBA secretary-general Annie Joseph stated in the release.

    It would have been appropriate if the Ministry had referred the alleged violations of NDTV India to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), the independent self regulatory body of the NBA.

    In the interest of the freedom of the media, NBA requests the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to kindly re-consider its decision, the release added.

  • NDTV India has been singled out: NBA

    NDTV India has been singled out: NBA

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has issued a press release that it is concerned with the decision taken by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MoI&B) to prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of NDTV India channel, a national channel, for a day on any platform throughout India w.e.f 00:01hrs on 9 November 2016 till 00:01hrs of 10 November 2016 ostensibly for the channel’s coverage of the Pathankot terror attack on 2.1.2016 on the ground that the channel gave out sensitive information to the handlers of terrorists.

    It is surprising to note that NDTV India has been singled out by the IMC/ MoI&B, when the rest of the media also did cover the terror attack and all such reports were available in the public domain. The IMC and the MoI&B should have seen it from the prism of freedom of the media, which is guaranteed in the constitution and not gone strictly by the regulations under the Cable Act, NBA secretary-general Annie Joseph stated in the release.

    It would have been appropriate if the Ministry had referred the alleged violations of NDTV India to the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), the independent self regulatory body of the NBA.

    In the interest of the freedom of the media, NBA requests the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to kindly re-consider its decision, the release added.

  • NBSA hauls up news channels; fines them, demands apology

    NBSA hauls up news channels; fines them, demands apology

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has issued a missive to New Delhi Television Ltd’s English and Hindi language news channels NDTV 24×7 and NDTV India to apologize on air for a news report they aired in October 2015.

    The report is related to the lynching of a man in Nahan, Shimla. The two channels had blamed the lynching on specific religious groups, naming them in their headlines.

    A detailed order issued by justice R.V. Raveendran, chairperson of the authority, said, “NBSA decided that the broadcaster (both channels) be directed to air its regret/apology for attributing the lynching to some named religious groups, apparently without verification of facts.”

    Both the channels have been asked to air the apology before 25 July prior to their 9 pm news.

    In another order, the NBSA asked News24 to submit an expression of regret and assure that it would adhere to the principles of self-regulation after it felt that one of its programmes on allegations against functionaries of a political party did not adhere to the norms related to objectivity.

    Of these three one agreed to indiantelevision.com that it would abide by the NBSA’s order. News24 editor in chief Anuradha Prasad said, “We will abide by NSBA’s guidelines and will have a scroll running on our channel.”

    Attempts to connect with NDTV met with no response. But one can expect it to run an apology.
    Other channels also got a rap on their knuckles and were asked to say sorry. ETV Chhattisgarh had run a programme titled Vampires which was found violative of the norms. The NSBA has imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on ETV Bangla and asked it to display apology after it felt that its coverage of an incident in Jadavpur University flouted the norms related to impartiality and objectivity. NBSA has asked ETV UP/Uttarakhand to run an apology and air versions of some persons regarding whom news reports had been telecast.

  • NBSA hauls up news channels; fines them, demands apology

    NBSA hauls up news channels; fines them, demands apology

    MUMBAI: The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has issued a missive to New Delhi Television Ltd’s English and Hindi language news channels NDTV 24×7 and NDTV India to apologize on air for a news report they aired in October 2015.

    The report is related to the lynching of a man in Nahan, Shimla. The two channels had blamed the lynching on specific religious groups, naming them in their headlines.

    A detailed order issued by justice R.V. Raveendran, chairperson of the authority, said, “NBSA decided that the broadcaster (both channels) be directed to air its regret/apology for attributing the lynching to some named religious groups, apparently without verification of facts.”

    Both the channels have been asked to air the apology before 25 July prior to their 9 pm news.

    In another order, the NBSA asked News24 to submit an expression of regret and assure that it would adhere to the principles of self-regulation after it felt that one of its programmes on allegations against functionaries of a political party did not adhere to the norms related to objectivity.

    Of these three one agreed to indiantelevision.com that it would abide by the NBSA’s order. News24 editor in chief Anuradha Prasad said, “We will abide by NSBA’s guidelines and will have a scroll running on our channel.”

    Attempts to connect with NDTV met with no response. But one can expect it to run an apology.
    Other channels also got a rap on their knuckles and were asked to say sorry. ETV Chhattisgarh had run a programme titled Vampires which was found violative of the norms. The NSBA has imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine on ETV Bangla and asked it to display apology after it felt that its coverage of an incident in Jadavpur University flouted the norms related to impartiality and objectivity. NBSA has asked ETV UP/Uttarakhand to run an apology and air versions of some persons regarding whom news reports had been telecast.

  • NBSA hauls up CNN-IBN, Aaj Tak and Sakshi TV for breach of guidelines

    NBSA hauls up CNN-IBN, Aaj Tak and Sakshi TV for breach of guidelines

    MUMBAI: Broadcasters in India have always been under pressure for not following ethical norms and standards and depicting anything they wish to. However, there are certain organisatons like the News Broadcasters Association (NBA), Indian Broadcasters Foundation (IBF) which have framed regulatory policies for their members.

     

    The News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) has come out with a series of orders regarding allegations against its member news channels. Channels Aaj Tak, CNN IBN and Sakshi TV unlike ABP News have been found to be in breach of the NBSA code of ethics.

     

    CNN-IBN

     

    Two cases were lodged against CNN-IBN regarding two separate incidences. The first complaint was filed by Mallige Medical Centre administrator R K Lal about a show titled ‘Bangalore woman incapacitated after botched surgery’ which was according to the complainant, a one sided story . The broadcaster was found to not have followed the guidelines and had failed to make adequate efforts to contact the hospital. The NBA has warned CNN-IBN and has asked it to tender an apology by airing it once on 10 January stating “CNN-IBN regrets and apologises for airing the programme titled ‘Bangalore woman incapacitated after botched surgery’ without ascertaining the version of Mallige Medical Centre on 29 to 30 March 2013 and 1 April, 6 April and 7 April 2013.” It has also ordered it to remove the video from its website and submit a proof of telecast of the apology to the NBA within seven days of telecast.

     

    The second case against the English news channel was filed by Hariharan S regarding a child rape victim’s father being identified by one of the channel’s journalists while covering the protest at India Gate on 23 December 2012. Since it was a live coverage, the channel claimed that it didn’t think of covering his face and was only thinking of public interest but it could have been more careful. They also stated that no provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act were violated by revealing the father’s name. The NBSA found it to be in breach and asked it to remove the video from its website.

     

    Aaj Tak

     

    The Hindi broadcaster from the TV Today stable also had two complaints against its programmes. Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) general manager Pradip Kundu was the first complainant that its sting operation ‘Dalal Junction’ was biased as it had not tried to contact IRCTC and had carried the news piece without verifying facts. The channel was found to be in breach and was directed to tender an apology for five consecutive days from 13 January to 17 January at 6:00 pm by running an apology scroll on full screen in large font size with a voice over in slow speed. The video if uploaded on its website shall be pulled down.

     

    The second complainant was Seema Mittal for a show titled ‘Vardat’ on 7 November 2012 with repeat telecasts where she alleged that the channel had carried a news piece with incorrect details. The channel has been directed to carry the unedited version of the complainant prominently for three minutes preceded by an apology scroll similarly done as the one above. In this case Aaj Tak has been ordered to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to the NBA within seven days because this was a second such willful violation in family/matrimonial matters.

     

    Sakshi TV

     

    Four students of NALSAR had approached the NBSA regarding the airing of a programme titled ‘drunken girls hulchul midnight’ that involved a fight between students and journalists claiming that the channel had portrayed them in a derogatory manner. The manner in which Sakshi TV’s cameraman thrust the camera in the car to capture footage of the girls along with the complainants and airing the footage without their version was highly objectionable. Sakshi TV has been asked to cough up Rs 1 lakh along with an apology for the days 15, 16 and 17 January 2014 in both English and Telugu.

     

    The only channel that wasn’t found to be in breach of its guidelines was ABP News though a complaint was filed against it by Atul Jain regarding a programme it aired called ‘Bura Na Mano’ claiming that the channel had tried to show then railway minister Pawan Bansal as guilty in a matter under investigation by the CBI.  

  • Notice to I&B Ministry, NBA on allegations of paid news

    Notice to I&B Ministry, NBA on allegations of paid news

    NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court today issued notice to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) in a petition relating to paid news.

     

    Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh of the Lucknow bench said that in a democratic country while freedom of expression is a basic requirement, there are problems related to paid news and other vested news if there is no forum with the government for complaints to be presented by the public.

     

    The court has asked the ministry as well as the media organisations to present their reply about social activist Dr Nutan Thakur’s complaint and the present grievance redressal mechanism for viewers against news channels, within four weeks.

     

    Thakur had previously sent her complaint relating to news channels reports about the role of Raja Bhaiya in DSP Ziaul Haq murder being one-sided, but the NBSA had concluded that no impropriety was done in broadcasting of these news items. She then approached the High Court against this decision.