The Hindu : New Delhi News : Notice to Centre on TV programme code

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Tuesday, Aug 26, 2008
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Notice to Centre on TV programme code

Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre seeking its response on implementation of Programme Code for TV channels prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules.

A Bench consisting of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam issued notice to this limited extent on petitions filed by the Sant Shree Asaram Ji Ashram Trust and R. P. Arora seeking a direction to regulate the media on reporting sensitive cases.

The petitioners were aggrieved at reports, particularly on TV, about missing students in the Asharam Bapu Ji Gurukul, Ahmedabad, in July. Citing the coverage of the event on certain channels, they said: “Anybody can walk into a channel’s studio and make any allegation against the saint and his ashram and it will be repeated again and again and the whole thing is termed exposure.”

The petitioners said the media had not learnt their lessons from recent incidents and continued to and air programmes “which are not true and project individuals in a bad light, lowering their prestige and standing in society, transgressing fundamental rights available to petitioners/followers.”

They said TV channels were bound by the Programme Code and violation was a punishable offence.

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