Question : Obscene Content on TV

(a) whether the Government is aware of many obscene programmes/advertisements run on television in regular time slot, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has identified the programmes, advertisements and agencies showing such obscenity, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take any step to show such programme in a dignified manner on television channel, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the other steps taken/ formulated by the Government to check such content on TV?

MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) to (d): All private satellite TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertising Codes as prescribed in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules framed thereunder.




An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), set up by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, looks into complaints regarding violation of Programme and Advertising Codes and recommends action against the TV Channels. Appropriate action is taken against TV channels in case violation of the aforesaid Programme & Advertising Codes, including obscene content, is established. Action against TV channels may extend from issue of warnings or advisories to comply with the Programme/Advertising Codes or directing channels to run apology scrolls on their channels and can extend up to taking the channels off air temporarily for varying period depending on the gravity of the violation.

States have set-up District level and State level Monitoring Committees to monitor content telecast on cable TV channels.


Further, as part of the self-regulation mechanism, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) has set-up Broadcasting Content Complaint Council (BCCC) for self-regulation in case of non-news
channels whereas News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) had been set-up by News Broadcasters Association (NBA) for monitoring content of news channels. Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), a self-regulatory body of advertisement industry, looks into all advertisement related complaints across media such as Print, TV, Radio, Hoardings, SMS, Internet/web-site, etc.
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