The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry may look at reconfiguration of the the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that looks into complaints of content violations by TV channels in the light of the NDTV controversy.

This is likely to be done to make the institutional process that looks into content violation of private television channels more robust.

Ready for talks

The government could hold discussions with the telecast industry for suggestions to strengthen the process, sources said.

I&B Minister Venkaiah Naidu had said at a press conference on Monday that if there was scope for improving the mechanism, the government would look into it.

The ministry had constituted the committee in 2005 to look into complaints of violations of the programming and advertising codes laid down in the Cable TV Network Rules.

It consists of representatives from I&B Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, Law and Justice Ministry, Defence Ministry, Women and Child Development Ministry, Consumer Affairs and Food Processing Ministry and Advertising Standards Council for India.

The inter-ministerial committee sends warnings, advisories as well as imposes penalties on erring channels. The government has pointed out that even during 2005-14, under the UPA regime, TV channels were asked to go off air in 21 instances.

Rules amended

Sources have been pointing out that the I&B Ministry had been sending several advisories with regard to coverage of terrorist attacks since 2008.

However, amendments were brought into the regulations and the programming code last year for coverage of terrorist attacks since a rule was more binding than an advisory.

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