Lok Sabha Question No. 6436 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-05
Subject: Regulation of Contents of News
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: PR. SENTHILNATHAN, KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, R.K. BHARATHI MOHAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6436 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05/04/2018

## REGULATION OF CONTENTS OF NEWS

6436.  SHRI  PR. SENTHIL NATHAN: SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN: SHRI BHARATHI  MOHAN R.K:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  regulate  the  contents  of  the  news  aired 24/7 News Channels and for the censorship of rumour mongering paid news;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has taken keen note of the increasing trends of paid news and the menace of news sensitization and breaking news culture;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  stringent  action  or  plan  of  action  proposed    to  be    taken/adopted  by  the Government to tackle the above-said issues?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):    As  per  existing  regulatory  framework,  the  telecast  of  content  on  private satellite TV channels is regulated as per Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 framed thereunder.  The Act does not provide for pre-censorship of any programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels.  However, it prescribes 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  aforesaid  Act  and  the  rules  framed  thereunder. Action is taken against TV channels whenever violation of the said codes is established. (The Programme Code and Advertising Code are available on the Ministry's website: mib.nic.in).

The  Programme  and  Advertising  Codes  contain  a  wide  range  of  parameters  to regulate programmes and advertisements on such TV channels  including the content likely  to  pose  menace  of  news  sensationalism  and  breaking  news  culture.    In  this regard, some specific provisions made in the Programme Code are given as under:

Rule  6(c)  provides  that  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;

Rule  6(d)  provides  that  no  programme  should  be  carried  in  the  cable  service  which contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half-truths;

Rule 6(e) provides that 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;

It  is  further  stated  that  no  specific  instance  of  paid  news  in  electronic  media (private satellite TV channels) has been brought to the notice of this Ministry.  Instances of  paid  news  during  Election  time  are  directly  dealt  by  Election  Commission  of  India under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

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

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