| NEW
DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued warnings to two more
channels. India TV and the Rupert Murdoch-owned music Channel [V] have been told
not to commit repeated violations of the Programme and Advertising Codes.
While India
TV – which had received a warning for another reportage just ten days earlier
– has been pulled up for reportage about Jhanvi Kapur on 7 May 2007, Channel
[V] has come under the scanner for the reality beauty show Get Gorgeous 5
last year. The
warning has been given under Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation)
Act 1995 and under provisions of the Uplinking Guidelines. Both
channels have been asked to ensure strict compliance to the Programme and Advertising
Codes and told that "any further violation may entail stringent action including
prohibition of broadcast." India
TV has been asked to carry the scroll: "Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
warned India TV for telecast of a news item in form of Exclusive and Special Report
which was based on distorted facts which was found in violation of the Programme
Code." The
scroll is to be carried in legible large font and at normal speed and without
any interruption/mixing of any type of advertisement round-the-clock for three
days from noon 10 July to noon 13 July.
A recording of the scroll has to be submitted to the Ministry in VCD format. The
channel has been asked not to telecast/re-telecast the report, which was alleged
to have been based on distorted facts about the character of Kapur and was telecast
to mislead the public and defame her. The
Ministry had issued a show cause notice in July 2007 to which the channel had
replied in August 2008, also contending that the matter was sub judice as it was
pending before Delhi High Court. The
warning was issued after the Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted to look into
such complaints previewed the reportage and held that the channel had violated
Rule 6(1)(d) of the Programme Code. Along
with this latest violation, India TV has been sent show cause notices ten times
since March, 2005 and warnings or advisories have been issued six times. While
the matter has been treated as closed in all other cases, one matter is under
consideration while another is pending in Delhi High Court. In
the case of Channel [V], notice has been issued on 8 October last year for telecast
of Get Gorgeous 5 as a content "appeared to be offending good taste
and decency, as foul and unparliamentary language and gestures were used in the
show. The content of the show appeared obscene and suggestive and could malign
public and moral life of society and was not suitable for unrestricted public
exhibition."
Star India had replied on 21 November last taking the plea that freedom of speech
and expression was one of the key fundamental rights granted by the Indian constitution.
Thereafter representatives of the channel were given personal hearing, and they
submitted that the programme was a talent search that had been premiered in 2004.
The
Inter-Ministerial Committee, constituted to look into such complaints thereafter,
previewed the recordings of the programme. The Competent Authority, after examining
the report of the Committee and hearing the channel, felt the channel had violated
Rule 6(1)(a) and 6(5) of the Programme Code. The
channel was accordingly warned and told that any further violation may entail
stringent action including prohibition of telecast. The
channel has earlier run foul of the Ministry twice in October 2004 and July 2006
for telecasting certain songs. In the former case, the channel had been asked
to run an apology scroll. | 
