The Hindu : National : Public can lodge complaints on cable TV content

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 22, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Public can lodge complaints on cable TV content

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday issued guidelines to define the role of the State and District Monitoring Committees for private channels to enforce the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995.

The committees have been envisaged to provide a forum for the public to lodge complaints regarding the content aired over cable television and take action.

The committees will keep a watch on the content at the local level and ensure that no unauthorised or pirated channels are carried and the local news, is restricted to information about local events and is presented in a balanced manner without offending or inciting any community.

The action taken by Authorised Officers for enforcement of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act will be reviewed. If any programme affects public order or creates resentment in any community the State and Central governments will be informed.

The nodal officer at the district level will head the complaint cell and have the powers to call for footage of the programme, advertisement or content against which the complaint is lodged. After reviewing the content, if the Committee feels that there has been a violation of the Act, the Authorised Officer can taken action as per the provisions of the law.

In case the complaint pertains to national or regional satellite channels, the committee can forward its recommendations through the State Monitoring Committee to the Centre.

The State Monitoring Committee will be chaired by the Secretary (Information and Public Relations) and will comprise a representative of the Director-General of Police; Secretary, Social Welfare; Secretary, Women and Child Development; representative of a non-government organisation working for women who will be nominated by the Chief Secretary; academician, psychologist, sociologist — also to be nominated by the Chief Secretary; and Director Information as its members.

This committee will monitor the District Monitoring Committees, decide matters referred to it by the district committees and forward complaints to the Centre in the case of violation of orders on Programme and Advertising Codes.

The government had issued orders to set up district and state-level committees in September 2005 but only Jammu and Kashmir had done so. The enforcement of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 was not satisfactory either due to lack of clear understanding of the role of the committees or a suitable mechanism to enforce the provisions of the Act.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National