Question : LIVE TELECASTING OF SENSITIVE INCIDENTS

(a) whether the Government has prepared any policy/guidelines for live telecast/coverage of sensitive incidents like terror attack by the electronic media;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) if not, the reasons therefore;

(d) whether representations have been received from the television broadcasters/media persons in this regard;

(e) if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the time by which corrective measures likely to be taken by the Government to stop/check the live telecast of such incidents?

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

(a) to (e) As the Government was in the process of making certain amendments to the Programme Code immediately after 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai. However, a section of Media strongly opposed the move. Therefore, the Government has given an assurance to the media that the content code would be finalised only after the widest possible consultation with all the stakeholders and eliciting their different points of view on the proposed changes.

However, to deal with specific situations such as the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, advisories are issued to the channels from time to time. This Ministry issued Advisory dated 27.11.2008 and 03.12.2008 to all News and Current Affairs Channels at the time of terror attack on Mumbai.

After the recent Pune blasts the Government has issued another Advisory dated 24.02.2010 to all TV channels and motivated then to carry free of cost, spots and jingles of the dos & don’ts to combat terrorism for the information of the general public.

The News Broadcasters Association (NBA) has also issued ‘guidelines for telecast of News during Emergency situation’.

(f) The Government has recently set up a Task Force under the Chairmanship of Secretary (I & B) for holding wider consultation with stakeholders to arrive at a consensus regarding the provisions of the draft content code.