ITV

Tag: www.mib.nic.in

  • Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    NEW DELHI: Only two instances have come to the government over the past two years of vulgarity and indecency in reality shows on television, and both relate to Colors.

    Answering a question in Parliament today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley however ruled out any guideline to check such trends as he said “the existing provisions contained in the Programme and Advertising codes and the existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content including reality shows on TV channels”.

    In the first case relating to Bigg Boss Season-7, Colors had been issued an advisory on 26 March 2014 and a warning was issued on 8 January last year on the second case relating to “Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi-Dan Ka Blockbuster” when the channel was asked to run an apology scroll.

    The Minister said in reply to a question that the content telecast on private satellite TV channels including reality shows of different genres is regulated under the cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed there under. The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.

    However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements on such TV channels should be in conformity with the prescribed programme code and Advertising code enshrined in the Act and the rules framed there under, which contains a whole range of principles to be followed by these  channels including the reality shows carried thereon.

    He said the Government has set up Electronic Media Monitoring centre (EMMC) to review the content of private TV channels in the contest of violation(s) of programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of programme and Advertising codes and appropriate action is taken as per cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act’ 1995, if any violation if established.

    This Ministry also issues advisories to TV channels from time to time on various issues, which are also relevant to reality shows. These are available at Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

    In addition,the  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has formulated the ‘Guidelines for Media Reporting on children, which have been circulated by this Ministry among ail TV channels/NBA,/IBF on 23 November 2012. The guidelines lay down provisions to be followed by broadcasters/producers in case child participants are taken in their shows.

    Besides, as part of its self-regulating mechanism, Indian Broadcasting Foundation which is a representative body of non-news & current affairs TV channels, has set up the Broadcasting content Complaints Council (BCCC) headed by retired High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to examine complaints about television programmes. BCCC has also issued some Advisories on various issues related to reality shows to their member channels, which are available at their website i.e. www.ibfindia.com.

    The Programme code, inter-alia, provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service which (i) offends against good taste or decency; (ii) contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths; and (iii) denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, 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.

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

  • Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    Only two cases of vulgarity and indecency on reality TV shows reported to Government in last two years

    NEW DELHI: Only two instances have come to the government over the past two years of vulgarity and indecency in reality shows on television, and both relate to Colors.

    Answering a question in Parliament today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley however ruled out any guideline to check such trends as he said “the existing provisions contained in the Programme and Advertising codes and the existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content including reality shows on TV channels”.

    In the first case relating to Bigg Boss Season-7, Colors had been issued an advisory on 26 March 2014 and a warning was issued on 8 January last year on the second case relating to “Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi-Dan Ka Blockbuster” when the channel was asked to run an apology scroll.

    The Minister said in reply to a question that the content telecast on private satellite TV channels including reality shows of different genres is regulated under the cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and cable Television Network Rules, 1994 framed there under. The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.

    However, it prescribes that all programmes and advertisements on such TV channels should be in conformity with the prescribed programme code and Advertising code enshrined in the Act and the rules framed there under, which contains a whole range of principles to be followed by these  channels including the reality shows carried thereon.

    He said the Government has set up Electronic Media Monitoring centre (EMMC) to review the content of private TV channels in the contest of violation(s) of programme and Advertising Codes.

    An Inter-Ministerial committee (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance against the violation of programme and Advertising codes and appropriate action is taken as per cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act’ 1995, if any violation if established.

    This Ministry also issues advisories to TV channels from time to time on various issues, which are also relevant to reality shows. These are available at Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

    In addition,the  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has formulated the ‘Guidelines for Media Reporting on children, which have been circulated by this Ministry among ail TV channels/NBA,/IBF on 23 November 2012. The guidelines lay down provisions to be followed by broadcasters/producers in case child participants are taken in their shows.

    Besides, as part of its self-regulating mechanism, Indian Broadcasting Foundation which is a representative body of non-news & current affairs TV channels, has set up the Broadcasting content Complaints Council (BCCC) headed by retired High Court judge Mukul Mudgal to examine complaints about television programmes. BCCC has also issued some Advisories on various issues related to reality shows to their member channels, which are available at their website i.e. www.ibfindia.com.

    The Programme code, inter-alia, provides that no programme should be carried in the cable service which (i) offends against good taste or decency; (ii) contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths; and (iii) denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, 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.

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

  • ASCI received 722 complaints against misleading advertisements in the media during 2015-16 till December-end

    ASCI received 722 complaints against misleading advertisements in the media during 2015-16 till December-end

    New Delhi, 8 March: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received a total of 722 complaints till December last for the year 2015-16 complaints against misleading advertisements.

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Rajya Sabha today that the ASCI had received 1580 complaints during 2014=15 and 1399 complaints during 2013-14.

    He said the Department of Consumer Affairs appointed ASCI as their executive arm in April 2015 to process complaints received on the GAMA (Grievance against Misleading Advertisements) portal. 

    The details of all such complaints which are under investigation of ASCI are available on GAMA portal.

    He also said case-wise details of such advertisements as reported by ASCI have been uploaded on Ministry’s website, www.mib.nic.in. 

  • ASCI received 722 complaints against misleading advertisements in the media during 2015-16 till December-end

    ASCI received 722 complaints against misleading advertisements in the media during 2015-16 till December-end

    New Delhi, 8 March: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) received a total of 722 complaints till December last for the year 2015-16 complaints against misleading advertisements.

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Rajya Sabha today that the ASCI had received 1580 complaints during 2014=15 and 1399 complaints during 2013-14.

    He said the Department of Consumer Affairs appointed ASCI as their executive arm in April 2015 to process complaints received on the GAMA (Grievance against Misleading Advertisements) portal. 

    The details of all such complaints which are under investigation of ASCI are available on GAMA portal.

    He also said case-wise details of such advertisements as reported by ASCI have been uploaded on Ministry’s website, www.mib.nic.in. 

  • Govt. to consider separate content code for news broadcasters

    NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting ministry today agreed to consider a suggestion that news channels should not be guided by the content code drawn up for broadcasters. The code is to be put up on the website of the ministry by 1 July.

    A meeting of officials of the ministry chaired by Secretary Asha Swarup today agreed to examine the need for a separate code for news channels.

    The News Broadcasters Association said that the system of Channel Auditor under the proposed content code may not work in the case of news channels where speed is of the essence.

    The officials examined the various suggestions received and shortlisted those which could be incorporated. The process of incorporating these will take a few days after which it will again be examined by the Secretary before being put on the website www.mib.nic.in.

    Though some of the broadcasters feel imposition of a code amounts to policing and infringement of their freedom, the ministry is said to be clear that the only way the proposed Broadcast Services Regulation Bill can be implemented is through the content code.

    After the final meeting of the Committee headed by Swarup on 1 June, it had been generally agreed that those members who wanted to give any further suggestions could do so by 15 June after which the final draft would be put up in the ministry website for people to send in their reactions.

    I&B ministry sources today told Indiantelevision.com that most of the suggestions received from representatives of women’s organizations and NGOs were being incorporated. After the code is put on the website, there will be some meetings with broadcasters who have expressed strong reservations, and also a seminar wherein eminent citizens and stakeholders would be asked to give their views.

    Broadcasters have objected to the procedure for redressal of complaints among other provisions. The code as drawn up stipulates a three-step procedure for self-regulation and redressal of complaints alleging violation of the programme or advertising codes.

    The first forum to hear the complaints would be a Content Auditor at the level of the programme/service providers. In case a complaint is not suitably redressed, then it will go to the next stage – respective Consumers’ Complaints Committees set up at the industry-segment level organizations.

    The third and final stage would be the Broadcast Regulatory Authority of India proposed in the comprehensive Broadcast Bill to be introduced in Parliament in the monsoon session.

    Broadcasters have also expressed reservations about the provision in the draft Code that ‘the Chief Editor of the channel, by whatever designation he is known in the broadcast service producer, shall be responsible for the final decision to accept or modify the guidance given by the Content Auditor/s, and to schedule and broadcast the programme.’ They feel that whatever is broadcast should be seen as a corporate matter and not that relating to the Editor alone.

    Some of the suggestions sought to be incorporated relate to making the nature of violations more specific, particularly with regard to portrayal of women, showing of violence and the role of children in the serials and other programmes including news bulletins.

    The meeting today was attended among others by P N Vasanti from the Centre for Media Studies who along with her colleague Prawin Kumar prepared the draft Code.

    The ministry is understood to have rejected the view that there is no need for a separate ‘U/A’ (Under the Supervision of an Adult) category and this should be merged in the category ‘U’ (Universal) as far as certification of films was concerned.

    The Code as drafted stipulates that films certified as ‘U’ or ‘S’ (Specialized) can be telecast at any time. Films certified as ‘U/A’ can be shown between 8 pm and 4 pm, while films for ‘A’ (adult) audiences should only be telecast between 11 pm to 4 am.