Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has taken action in 163 cases in the last three years and the current year against private TV channels found in violation with the Programme Code. The ministry took action through the issuance of advisories, warnings, apology scroll orders, and off-air orders.
MIB had issued an advisory on 23 April to all private satellite TV channels to ensure strict compliance with the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed thereunder.
As per the advisory, the ministry observed that the reporting of the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the recent demolition incident in North-West Delhi were "misleading, sensationalist and have communal overtones."
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During the monsoon session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha asked the MIB whether it had taken action against TV channels which aired television debates allowing participants to air communally provocative and derogatory remarks. It also asked the government what action it has taken to prevent news channels from airing such debates on communal issues in the future.
All programmes telecast on private satellite TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme Code laid down in the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, framed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1994. The Programme Code, inter alia, provides that no programme should be telecast that contains attacks on religions or communities, or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups, or that promotes communal attitudes.
The Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules, inter alia, contains broad guidelines relating to content broadcast on private television channels. The central government has amended the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 to provide for a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances and complaints of violations of the Programme Code and Advertising Codes of the broadcast by television channels.
The Rules provide for three levels of complaint redressal mechanisms: Level I by the broadcaster; Level II by the self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters; and Level III by the oversight mechanism of the central government.
