Lok Sabha Question No. 1781 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Sensational News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: JANARDAN MISHRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1781 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28/12/2017

## SENSATIONAL NEWS

## 1781.  SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the sensational news telecast by media affects the public;
- (b) if so, whether there is any guideline for the media not to telecast such new-items which encourage the people to be violent;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the efforts being made by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  INFORMATION  &  BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

(a)  to  (d):  As  per  existing  regulatory  framework,  all  programmes  and  advertisements telecast  on  private  satellite  TV  channels  and  transmitted/re-transmitted  through  the Cable  TV  network      are  required  to  adhere  to  the  Programme  Code  and  Advertising Code prescribed  under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 framed thereunder.  The Act does not provide for precensorship of  any programme  or  advertisement  telecast on such  TV  channels. However,  it  provides  that  all  programmes  and  advertisements  telecast  on  such  TV channels should be in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code and Advertising Code enshrined in the said Act and the rules framed thereunder, which contain a whole range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements on TV channels and prohibits content which is false or half-truth or likely to lead to unnecessary sensationalism  or  violence.    In  this  regard,  some  specific  provisions  made  in  the Programme Code are given as under:

Rule 6(1)(c): No programme should be carried in the cable service which contains attack on  religions  or  communities  or  visuals  or  words  contemptuous  of  religious  groups  or which promote communal attitudes;

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Rule  6(1)(d):  No  programme  should  be  carried  in  the  cable  service  which  contains anything  obscene,  defamatory,  deliberate,  false  and  suggestive  innuendos  and  halftruths;

Rule  6(1)(e):  No  programme  should  be  carried  in  the  cable  service  which  is  likely  to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes;

Rule 6(1)(p): No programme should be carried in the cable service which contains live coverage of any anti-terrorist operation by security forces, wherein media coverage shall be restricted to periodic briefing by an officer designated by the appropriate Government, till  such operation concluded. Explanation- for the purposes of this clause, it is clarified that  'anti-terrorist  operation'  means  such  operation  undertaken  to  bring  terrorists  to justice,  which  includes  all  engagements  involving  justifiable  use  of  force  between security forces and terrorists.

It  is  further  stated  that  the  Ministry  has  set  up  Electronic  Media  Monitoring Centre  (EMMC)  to  monitor  the  content  of  private  TV  channels  with  reference  to  the violation  of  Programme  and  Advertising  Codes.    An  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC) has also been set up in the Ministry to look into the specific complaints or suo-motu take cognizance  against  the  violation  of  Programme  and  Advertising  Codes.  IMC  has representatives  from  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs,  Defence,  External  Affairs,  Law, Women and Child Development, Health and  Family Welfare,  Consumer  Affairs  and  a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).  The IMC meets periodically and recommends action in respect of violation of Programme and Advertising Codes by private TV channels . Apart from this, the Ministry has also issued directions  to  States  to  set  up  District  level  and  State  level  Monitoring  Committees  to regulate content telecast on cable TV channels.

The existing provisions contained in the Programme & Advertising Codes and the existing mechanism are considered adequate to regulate content of private satellite TV channels.

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