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NEW
DELHI: The
ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is likely to
submit a report on the Content Code issue by mid-March, sources
told Indiantelevision.com.
MIB
officials, Indian Media Group (IMG) and the Indian Broadcasting
Foundation (IBF) have, under Delhi High Court directions,
met twice on the Content Code issue.
"The
electronic media bodies have met us twice and have given their
takes on the issue. But again, they want to file something
in writing, so the process is on and we are likely to inform
the court by the middle of next month," officials said.
Meanwhile,
another committee appointed by the Supreme Court to look into
whether media is ending up fomenting violence, has also met
several times and is likely to submit its report within a
specified date given by the court.
Officials
said that any NGO or individual could write their comments
or meet to the committee giving specific instances, and they
would be "only too happy to listen and check the complaint".
This
committee had been appointed by the apex court when during
last year's Rajasthan violence over the issue of reservation
for the Gujjar community, the electronic media had been found
repeating footage of violence for grabbing TRPs.
The
committee, headed by Solicitor General of India Ghulam E Vahanvati,
also has as member eminent jurist Fali Nariman and representatives
from both electronic and print media.
"A
lot of things are happening in the ministry on this issue,
which people may not be aware of, and we are working to sort
out things," senior officials say.
In
December last year, the Delhi High Court had asked the ministry
and the two groups for the news broadcasting media, as well
as the Indian Newspaper Society from the print media, to meet
and give their views on the issue of content code.
Reacting
to the issue of violence shown on the issue of north Indian
migrants in Maharashtra earlier this month, with channels
showing library pictures of violence without mentioning the
dates, or "Library Footage" there has been accusation
that this too amounts to distortion that could foment violence
further.
The
MIB has been highly peeved with repetitive violent footage
being aired.
However,
MIB is not able to do much in the absence of the Content Code
which will see the light of day once the Broadcast Regulatory
Bill comes into being. This will not happen in the near future,
sources said.
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