I&B Ministry
Swaraj may impose CAS through ordinance after all
Broadcasters and sections of the television industry who were just about heaving a sigh of relief that the Cable TV amendment on conditional access, proposed by information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj, would have to wait until the Monsoon session of parliament to get cleared, may have relaxed too soon.
The latest news is that while Swaraj is in Cannes pushing the film Indian industry’s cause at the international film festival there, hectic activity is taking place in the I&B ministry to push it through as an ordinance by next week.
The I&B ministry’s pitch: with an Indo-Pak conflict in the offing, the government needs to get a handle on television channels which had given it a bad name during the Gujarat carnage.
Swaraj had almost single-handedly managed to get the bill listed on the last day’s agenda of the Rajya Sabha last week at the last minute but a lot of behind the scenes manoeuvring by another minister ensured that the CAS amendment could not be taken up for discussion.
Swaraj is expected to return from Cannes by the end of the week.
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.
