NEW DELHI: Determined to clean up the Indian cable TV of what it feels is indecent content, the government brought in other regulation relating to airing of songs and promos.

The information and broadcasting ministry yesterday issued a notification that no film or film song or film promo or film trailer or music video or music album or their promos, whether produced in India or abroad, shall be carried through cable service unless it has been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as suitable for unrestricted public exhibition in India.

The move, according to the ministry, has been necessitated on the ground of a growing demand from the public to regulate airing of programmes containing obscenity, violence, cruelty etc., through cable TV networks.

In this regard, the ministry also cited a judgement of the Bombay High Court, which had directed cable operators not to carry any programme that was unsuitable for unrestricted public exhibition.

In a statement today, the I&B ministry said another rule relating to airing of ads has been amended.

From now on, no advertisement, which violates the code for
self-regulation for public exhibition, as adopted by the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI), shall be carried in the cable service.

The new norms have been inserted as an amendment to the Cable Television (Network) Rules 1994.

In the meanwhile, the government is still in the process of finalizing draft guidelines for content.