Question : VIOLATION BY FOREIGN BROADCASTING COMPANIES

(a) whether a number of broadcasting/telecasting companies operating in the country have violated the norms/content codes prescribed by the Government;

(b) if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year, company-wise;

(c) whether the Government has taken any action against such companies;

(d) if so, the details thereof during the said period; and

(e) the remedial measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure that the prescribed norms/content code are not violated in future?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING (SHRI C.M. JATUA)

(a) Some instances of violation of norms/content Codes (Programme and Advertising Codes) prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act,1995 and Rules framed thereunder have been brought the notice of the Government.

(b) to (d) A statement is Annexed.

(e) This Ministry has constituted an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) to look into the violations of the Programme and Advertisement Codes. IMC has representatives from Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare and Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). IMC meets regularly and recommends action against violations.

Government has also set up an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) to monitor the content telecast on Private satellite television channels round the clock.

Government had constituted a committee for reviewing the existing Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 to provide greater specificity to the provision of existing codes. The committee has made recommendations in the form of draft ‘Self-regulation Guidelines for the Broadcasting sector’ which is available on the Ministry’s website http://mib.gov.in under the heading “Codes Guidelines Policy”.

Ministry has been holding consultations with all concerned stakeholders to arrive at a broad consensus on the recommendations of the committee. A task Force has been set up under the Chairmanship of Secretary (I&B) for holding wider consultations with stakeholders to arrive at a consensus regarding the provision of the draft content code.