The Hindu Business Line : Public feedback on broadcast content code sought

According to the Government, there is a need “to regulate the content going into public domain to ensure conformity with acceptable contemporary community standards and to protect the vulnerable sections from harmful and undesirable content on TV.”

It is hoping to provide “a mechanism through which the public can voice their grievances and obtain redressal regarding programme and advertisement content. Although the Government claims it will bring on greater responsibility on broadcasters and advertisers, the industry has argued that this amounts to interference in their operations.

Own codes

“This is an opportunity for the broadcasters to come together to define its own set of guideline for content, like the Advertising Council of India does. The Government can set up a broadcast regulatory body that can focus on the growth of the industry and look into the system of licenses and such issues,” said Mr Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor in Chief, CNN-IBN. The industry has recently registered the News Broadcasters Association, and Mr Sardesai says the NBA along with the Indian Broadcasters Association can come up with its own code of conduct given three months time.

While the industry is worried about who interprets “excessive violence” and “public interest”, the Ministry is hoping “the dignity of women and children and the individual’s right to privacy will be safeguarded” from a more responsible treatment of crime, sex, obscenity, horror, occult, drugs and other issues.

The proposed Content Auditors within each channel does not find favour with broadcasters who point out that the Chief Editor of the channel is anyway being held responsible finally.

As per the code, advertisers will also now have to support and defend, with necessary evidence, claims they make for their products. Broadcasters will also be held for misleading advertisements. Self Regulation Guidelines for broadcasting service providers will be enforced by a Broadcasting Regulatory Authority of India.

The Ministry has put up the guidelines on its Web site and has called for comments from the public by August 5.