I&B Ministry
I&B ministry for dilution in smoking ban in films, TV serials
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting ministry today indicated further dilution in the ban on smoking scenes in films and TV serials by stating that “aesthetics” cannot be compromised with, but agreed to have cautionary messages at the beginning of a celluloid work.
Pointing out that the government is against promotion of tobacco and smoking in films and TV serials, I&B minister Jaipal Reddy today, however, said that the ban on smoking scenes being proposed by the health ministry would have to be aesthetically and technically feasible too.
“Whatever comes in the way of aesthetics will have to be given up…whatever’s not technically feasible will have to be given up,” Reddy told journalists at a briefing today after a meeting on various do’s and don’ts for film and TV programme makers.
In this connection, the government has proposed setting up of an industry body — minus government participation — that would be responsible for addressing various content-related complaints relating to film and TV industry.
According to Reddy, the entertainment industry needs to go in for some self-regulation and this proposed industry body is expected to evolve as a watchdog on the lines of Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Meanwhile, coming back to the issue of scenes of smoking in films and TV programmes, Reddy said that any film or TV serial having such scenes would have to carry disclaimers against smoking and the ill-effects of it at the start. The minister also hinted that the categories under which exemptions could be given would be expanded.
A proposed ban on smoking scenes in films and TV programmes, mooted by the health ministry, had the entertainment industry in a tizzy as the original proposal would have amounted to defacing scenes from old films and serials
by running a scroller.
Reddy, while stating that the government is totally against promotion of tobacco products and smoking, added that brand extension (in case of tobacco companies) or surrogate advertising or in-film placement of tobacco brands would not be tolerated.
The proposed industry body would be responsible for weeding out cultural and religious insensitivities (no films to be named Jo Bole So Nihal, for instance) and also indecency from celluloid works. “This body should be the first filter before films come to the Censor Board,” Reddy said.
Today’s meeting was attended by ministry officials and industry people like Subhash Ghai, Bobby Bedi, Ramesh Sharma and Amit Khanna.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
