Government to formulate new broadcasting code

13 Aug 2008

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The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) is taking a fresh new look at the existing broadcasting content code.

Disturbed with the violent and distressful scenes telecast by some news channels in their crime-based shows, among other instances, union secretary for information and broadcasting, Sushma Singh said, ''We are contemplating a review of the existing draft content code as it needs to be at par with changing times.''

Addressing the second Indian news television summit in New Delhi over the weekend, Singh added that sensationalism in the content of news channels often resulted in creating alarm among viewers, which had led the the government to issue 241 showcause notices to news and other channels over the past few years.

Singh specifically cited the instance of the Andhra Pradesh and Delhi High Courts, which had been demanding speedier action from the government in this regard. She added that the inability of the ministry in promulgating such a code was being looked at seriously and news channels must also realise that their viewers included children and sensitive audiences, as well.

The current draft of the content code was put up on I&B ministry's official website in July 2007. However, private broadcasters have said they would prefer self regulatrion and would formulate a content code to prevent interference from the government on editorial issues.

However, the implementation of a self-regulatory code is still pending, though the the representative bodies of leading news channels, including the News Broadcasters Association, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, and FM radio channels have said drafted a code, broadcasters have yet to adopt it.

The I&B ministry's proposed content code will encompass guidelines pertaining to the "standard of content" to be adopted by the over 350 television channels including the general and news channels, and FM radio companies.

India TV head, Rajat Sharma, in his keynote address,  said that most cannels worked in a very responsible manner and often helped in exposing ills in society and raised the query why news channels should be tragetted by the government when the print media was doing the same kind of reporting.

He added that people had faith in the news channels and this was the reason why they first came to them even before approaching the police or courts of law, but this responsible behaviour of the channels had gone unnoticed.

He also said that news channels had become the true ambassadors of the country by beaming overseas, and also functioned as a bridge between the government and the people.

Speaking on the ocasssion, ICICI Bank executive director V Vaidyanathan said the presentation of news should be treated as a corporate responsibility the way corporate houses were channelising their profits for the larger social good.

He urged the media to take up its social responsibility more seriously and said it could do things like exposing the parallel economy which was harming the country and said that at least 10 per cent of the news time should be devoted to consumer education, which could be turned into a viable business.

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