Question : CATEGORISATION OF TV PROGRAMMES

(a) whether the Indian Broadcasting Foundation has submitted a draft content code to the Government for categorisation of television programmes to regulate content in the electronic media;

(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the response of the Government thereon; (c ) whether the Government has agreed that there is an urgent need for content regulation in the electronic media;

(c) if so, the time by which a final decision is likely to be taken in this regard;

(d) whether the Government has considered the expansion of Conditional Access System (CAS) in the country; and

(f) if so, the present status of expansion of CAS in the country?

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

(a) & (b) : As part of their efforts to set up a self-regulation mechanism in case of Non-News and Current Affairs TV channels, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) had sent a reference to the Ministry for putting in place IBF’s Content Code & Certification Rule, relating , inter-alia, to catgerisation of programmes based on themes and constitution of the Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCC) to consider content-related complaints. The Ministry had advised the IBF to operationalise the BCCC and follow the existing Programme Code stipulated under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

(c) & (d): The existing regulatory framework enshrined in the Cable Television Networks (regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules promulgated thereunder contain adequate provisions to regulate telecast of programmes and advertisements by private satellite television channels. There is at present no need for any separate regulatory mechanism.

(e)&(f) : No such proposal is under consideration of the Ministry for the expansion of Conditional Access System (CAS) in the country as the Government has taken a decision to introduce digitalization with addressability in the Cable TV services in the country in a phased time bound manner, leading to complete switch off of analog cable TV services by 31st December, 2014.