First ever order against channel for coverage of terror attack

The I&B ministry order asking a Hindi news channel to be taken off air for a day is the first in connection with coverage of a terror attack though in recent years the government issued many directions on other counts after broadcasters were found to be violating norms.
Official sources said since 2005, there have been around 28 cases where orders have been issued against channels directing that they be taken off air for durations ranging from a day to up to two months for alleged obscene content to other violations.
Giving details of a particular case, an official said that an order was issued against Al-Jazeera channel barring its transmission for five days after it telecast a wrong map of India.

Several other leading broadcasters, majority in the general entertainment category, have been penalised under the Cable TV Networks Act, most of them for showing obscene content.
An order was issued against FTV over alleged obscene content directing the channel to be off-air for two months.
In another case, an order was issued against a channel over a sting operation aired by it.
However, the norms related to coverage of terror operations were introduced only last year. NDTV India is the first channel against which such an order has been issued by the ministry over the coverage of a terror attack, sources said.

In some cases, the broadcasters have gone to court against these orders, it is learnt.