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NEW DELHI: A draft Broadcasting Bill may have been put in
the backburner for the time being, but the government is determined
to bring in regulation for the broadcast industry.
Pointing out that allegations of intrusion of privacy of
individuals and other such issues are taken up by an autonomous
Press Council of India for the print medium, information and
broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi today said, "In
so far, as electronic media are concerned, such a specific
code has not been formulated."
That's why the government is considering a Broadcasting Services
Regulation Bill in consultation with other ministries, the minister
informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) today.
Dasmunsi's ministry, which had earlier proposed to bring
in the broadcast Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament,
has not yet listed it amongst the business that the House
would undertake during this session lasting till end-August.
However, the I&B minister, who has been blowing hot and
cold over the proposed Broadcast Bill, did admit in Parliament
today "a need has also been felt to consult the media
in the matter."
This makes it amply clear that the government had failed to
take the industry stakeholders into confidence while drafting
a note for the Cabinet's consideration on the issue and has
been forced to soften its stand on the face of stiff media opposition
to some draconian clauses proposed.
According to Dasmunsi, a committee has been set up to formulate
a programme code based upon the concept of self-regulation
by TV channels.
While making his point on the need to regulate the electronic
medium in the country, Dasmunsi scored a few points when answering
to queries from his fellow parliamentarians.
To a question on government show cause to TV channels, Dasmunsi
said 190 such notices have been issued to different television
channels for violation of Programme and Advertising Codes
during the period 2004-06 till date.
The break up of number of channels against whom it was
established a breach of Programme and Advertising Codes has
taken place is as under:
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Channels
warned and asked to run a scroll
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Channel
warned only
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Channel
taken off the air
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Advisory
letter issued
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Total
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13
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23
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1
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2
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39
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Orders for setting up of monitoring committees for private
television channels at the State and District levels was issued
in September 2005 and the order for constitution of an inter-ministerial
committee to take cognizance suo-motu or look into the specific
complaints regarding violations of the Programme Code and
Advertising Code, as defined in Rule 6 and 7 of the Cable
Television Network Rules, 1994 was issued in April 2005.
Government has asked States to constitute monitoring committees
at district levels to monitor private satellite and local
cable channels to detect and look into the violation of Programme
and Advertising Code, according to the minister.
As far as content monitoring is concerned, the Indian government
is serious about the whole thing.
Dasmunsi said the government proposes to set an Electronic
Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) for content monitoring of private
television channels and to check violations of programme and
advertisement codes.
The total cost of the project is Rs 116.5 million out of which
RS 29 million has already been released.
Another tranche of RS 58 million has been allocated under
Annual Plan 2006-07 for the purpose.
As of now, EMMC project is underway on a temporary basis in
Pushpa Vihar area in Delhi and is likely to be commissioned
in a full-fledged manner 2007, subject to availability of
funds and other infrastructural requirements.
However, Dasmunsi said that the ministry of urban development
has been requested to give a permanent piece of real estate
in the Capital for the EMMC project.
(RS 47= 1US$)
Also read:
Draft
Broadcast Bill: Big brother wants to do more than just watch
Broadcast
Bill still has minefields to clear before becoming law
Broadcast
bill ready; scheduled to be tabled in Monsoon Session of Parliament
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