(a) whether the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has a mandate to monitor
the content of the programmes being telecast on the TV channels;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the composition of the BCCC and the criteria fixed for selection of office bearers to
the said council; and
(d) the steps taken to educate the general public about the existence of BCCC?
THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING (SHRI MANISH TEWARI)
(a) & (b): The self-regulatory mechanism put in place by a body of broadcasters i.e. Indian Broadcasting Foundation
(IBF) through Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has not been mandated by any statute and is broadly
guided by IBF’s self-regulatory content guidelines for non-news channels.
As part of this Self regulatory initiative by private broadcasters, IBF has set-up a two-tier complaints
redressal system for general entertainment channels. At the first level, each member broadcaster has set-up a
Standard & Practices (S&P) Department with a content auditor to deal with the complaints received against the
content aired on its channel. At the next level of self regulatory complaint redressal mechanism, the Broadcasting
Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has been set-up, which has started functioning since June 2011.
(c) The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) has informed that the BCCC is chaired by Justice (Retd.)
A.P. Shah (former Chief Justice, High Court of Delhi). It has 12 members consisting of four Non-Broadcaster
members, four members from National statutory Commissions and four Broadcaster members.
BCCC has informed that the criterion for selection of the Chairperson is that he/she should be a retired Judge
of the Supreme Court or High Court. The selection is by majority decision of the board of IBF. The Four (4)
Non-Broadcaster Members should be renowned persons of impeccable integrity, high social standing and outstanding
achievements, selected by a panel of eminent persons appointed by the IBF Board from the following fields:
a. An eminent administrator with relevant experience
b. An eminent media critic/expert
c. A person who has been a member of the CBFC for two years or more
d. An eminent social worker
The Four (4) Members from National Level Statutory Commissions shall either be the Chairperson or Member
of such Commissions. One Member each shall be from National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and National Commission for Schedule Caste (NCSC) respectively. The
Fourth Member shall be from any of the National Level Statutory Commissions such as National Commission for
Schedule Tribes (NCST), National Commission for Minorities (NCM), National Commission for Backward Classes
(NCBC), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to be selected on a rotational basis, depending on the nature
of complaint being dealt by BCCC in a particular meeting.
BCCC has informed that the Four (4) Broadcaster Members are selected by voting at the Annual General Body
Meeting (AGM) of the IBF, to ensure fair and transparent representation.
(d) BCCC has informed that all general entertainment channels regularly run scroll/ticker on their screens
several times every day, informing the public about the complaint redressal mechanism of BCCC and advises
the general public to lodge their content-related complaints through a devoted Post Box No. 3812, New Delhi
110049 and online by logging on to the website www.ibfindia.com. All information relating to complaints
and their redressal are available on the website. They have also stated that regular Press Conferences are
held to inform the general public about its activities through the Media.