I&B Ministry
No request for TV regulatory body: Swaraj
I&B Minister Sushma Swaraj yesterday gave further indication in Parliament that the government was close to mandating on conditional access systems (CAS) as a way to resolve the ongoing dispute between the cable industry and broadcasters. Swaraj’s comment was made as an adjunct to a question on whether the government had received a request to set up a television regulatory body.
The government has received no request for the setting up of a television regulatory body on the lines of the Telecom Authority to regulate the subscription charged by cable operators, Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament), in a written reply.
Swaraj disclosed that there was no legal provision at present to regulate subscriptions by TV cable operators. She, however said the government was examining the feasibility of mandating CAS for pay channel viewing through cable.
Replying to another question, Swaraj said a group of six officials had been constituted by the Prasar Bharati to examine the feasibility of privatisation and joint ventures in national broadcaster Doordarshan’s Metro Channel.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
