Click to play videoNew Delhi: To see or not to see? That question no longer remains in the wake of the Central Government's move to ban the television broadcast of all films, songs, promos and advertisements which have been passed with an 'A' or 'U/A' certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification or the Censor Board.
Earlier, Rule 6 of the cable television rules of 1994, which dealt with the programming code, stated that "programmes unsuitable for unrestricted public exhibition can't be carried on cable television".
CABLE TV NETWORK ACT, 1995 |
Cable TV can't carry programmes that
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According to the Act, no programmes should be carried in the cable service:
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Now after arguments on what exactly qualified as 'unrestricted public exhibition' - the latest Central Government notification has amended the programme code making it mandatory for content to be passed by the censor board.
"Well, we already self regulate. More self regulation will not harm anyone if it is formulised in the form of a law. It will provide a level playing field with long term benefits," says senior vice-president of Corporate Brand Development, Zee Network, Ashish Kaul.
Regulatory Authorities |
US: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates "indecent" free-to-air broadcasting. It can issue fines if, for example, the broadcaster employs certain swear words. |
| BRITAIN: In 1988, the Broadcasting Standards Council (BSC) was set up to monitor 'Taste and Decency' on TV. The British regulatory system has the so-called 9 pm "watershed" after which almost anything can be aired. |
| HONG KONG: It has a system of "family viewing hours" (1600-2030 hrs) after which, parents are expected to decide what their children may watch. |
| SINGAPORE: An Authority is to decides every ten years on content and guidelines, in particular about films shown late at night. |
| AUSTRALIA: The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) is responsible for classifying of films and videos, computer games and publications. |
| PAKISTAN: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was established on March 01, 2002 through an Ordinance to induct the private sector into the field of electronic media. |
The new notification makes no distinction between adult themes and adult or erotic content.
So according to the new rule, popular films like Page 3 or Rang De Basanti which has a U/A certificate, can no longer be shown on television unless it gets a fresh go ahead from the censors for television broadcast.
"They are curtailing fundamental rights. The censor board does not have enough staff to censor features films, how do they plan to censor all content on every channel?" asks producer Mukesh Bhatt.
All eyes are now trained on the Broadcast Bill which is reportedly working out a provision to air adult content post 2300 hours IST. But till then remember - Big Brother’s watching.
(With inputs from Vrushali Haldipur)
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