 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Union Information Secretary Sushma Singh here on Saturday called for a separate regulatory mechanism for broadcasting services. Currently there is no content regulatory mechanism for broadcasting; only an inter-ministerial committee with a recommendatory capacity. While action has been taken against a number of channels for violation of programme and advertisement codes, experience shows that content is highly subjective and requires collective wisdom for interpreting any violation, Ms. Singh said. It would be prudent to create a body comprising members from all important spheres, including media, law, civil organisations and public administration, to ensure balanced and consistent orders on media matters. A separate broadcasting regulator would be better. Ms. Singh made out a case for a regulator with presence at the local level. With more and more localised content delivery mechanisms such as local cable channels, private FM radios and community radio stations coming up, it would be essential to have a mechanism capable of handling problems locally. Grievance cellsShe also suggested that service providers set up in-house grievance cells to provide a forum for people who had individual complaints, but could not approach the TRAI for redress. The government also proposed a revised content code, which provides for an auditor at the level of the broadcaster to receive and be responsible for addressing consumer complaints. Since self-regulation mechanism required the backing of statutory regulation to succeed, the code was proposed. Kuldeep Goyal, Chairman and Managing Director, BSNL, presented an overview of the telecom scenario, including the rapidly changing technology in the telecom, cable and broadcast sectors, at a seminar organised by the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). G.D. Gaiha, member, TDSAT, said India was the largest de-regulated telecom market in the world, where barriers to licensing, manufacturing and investment were being removed. J.S. Sarma, another member, said eventually, by decreasing isolation, the communication revolution would also result in poverty alleviation. P. Sathasivam, judge, Supreme Court of India, who inaugurated the seminar, endorsed the idea proposed by the Information Secretary that service providers set up in-house dispute resolution mechanisms. Trained personnelMadras High Court Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly said the pace of development in science and technology was not being paralleled in the legal world. Traditional courts would possibly be unable to cope with the situation, and the tribunals required specialised personnel trained in the sector. Arun Kumar, chairman, TDSAT, said the tribunal was holding awareness generation seminars across the country to propagate its role in dispute resolution. There was a strong need for a consumer-centric regulatory system, and it was necessary to end the endemic invasion of privacy of the customer.
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