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NEW
DELHI: The Information & Broadcasting secretary Asha Swarup
has convened a meeting on 2 May with all players in the television
sector on the issue of the content code for a focussed discussion
on the subject.
Invitations
have been sent to a limited number of representatives from
the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, the Indian Media Group,
News Broadcasters Association, MSO Alliance, and the Cable
Operators Federation of India.
This
is an extension of the meeting held on Cas earlier, on 8 April,
in which all the broadcasters were present along with the
others, during which the MIB had said it would call for a
smaller group for a more focussed discussion.
The
issue of piracy as well as content code are the two major
ones for the 2 May discussions. It is expected that empowering
LCOs (local cable operators) and MSOs (multi-system operators)
to have a say over content as is delivered finally to the
audience will be discussed.
As
of now, "till a broadcast regulatory bills comes and
changes the rules", as a source says, ultimately it is
the cable operator who is liable under the Cable TV Network
Act, 1995 for anything that reaches the audience.
Thus,
for every possible breach of the existing code (issues defined under the Licensing
Rules of the Act), the cable operator is liable for what goes put, and often they
are the ones who get penalised, even arrested. In
fact, this has been a long-term grievance of the LCOs and MSOs and they have been
demanding change in the law, but nothing has so far happened. Government
sources indicate its thinking: neither piracy nor content issues can be solved
without some controlling powers in the hands of the LCOs and MSOs.
The
carrying agencies are, hence, expecting some such powers to
be given them, though the exact mechanism is yet to be devised,
as there is no such provision under the present law. But the
MIB's recent stand on the content code has brought this a
step closer.
It
may be recalled that the MIB had handed over its own code
to the Delhi High Court, in which it had said that for complaint
reddressal mechanism, there will be sector-wise redressal
committees, which would include the committees from the carriage
sector, namely MSOs and LCOs.
However,
this would need some mandate being given to the carrier agencies,
sources say. "It is going to be a hotly debated issue
on 2 May," they hold.
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