(22 December 2005 12:45 pm)

MUMBAI: Television simply refuses to leave the court premises, be it cricket or adult content! The latest in this long list: the Bombay High Court's interim order restraining cable operators and service providers from showing any film with an Adult's only (A) certificate on television.

Responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mumbai-based social activist Pratibha Naithani, a division bench comprising justice RM Lodha and justice DG Karnik passed the interim order with immediate effect. The order is based on a Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act provision, which prohibits operators from showing any material "unsuitable for unrestricted public viewing".

According to the court order, cable operators will have to block any film on any channel certified as 'A' or for a particular class or profession by the Central Board of Film Certification. The order permits only films with a 'U' (unrestricted viewing) certificate on TV. The court also criticised the police for failing to act on the earlier complaints registered by Naithani.

Boradcasters who are party to the petition are Sony Entertainment Television, Star India, Zee Network, MTV and South's Sun Network. Star India counsel V Tulzapurkar argued that the Cable TV Act only applies to the operators and not private satellite channels.