Govt orders Assam-based news channel be taken off air for a

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Nov 05 2016 | 9:28 PM IST
After NDTV India, the Government has also ordered that an Assam-based news channel be taken off air for a day, following the recommendations of a high level panel which felt it had "violated" programming guidelines on more than one occasion.
An I&B ministry order dated November 2, has sought that the channel 'News Time Assam', be taken off air on November 9, for a day.
One of the allegations against the channel relates to telecasting a programme which revealed the identity of a minor who had been brutally tortured while working as a domestic servant.
Observing that the visuals telecast by the channel appeared to compromise the privacy and dignity of the child while also exposing him to harm and stigma, a showcause notice was issued to the channel in October 2013.
Having listened to the channel's version, the Inter Ministerial Committee which looked into the matter felt that the channel may be taken off air for a day.
According to the order, the matter was reconsidered as some other channels had also shown similar content for which they had been issued warnings, but the IMC looked at all the circumstances and again recommended taking it off air for a day.
The same order also lists two other cases of alleged violations by the channel which were considered by the IMC. One of them related to telecast of gory visuals of dead bodies for which a recommendation was made to take off the channel for a day.
In another case the channel telecast a programme which allegedly appeared to defamatory towards to women and in bad taste. The IMC had asked the channel to run an apology scroll but since it did not comply, in this regard, taking it off air for a day was recommended.
The I&B ministry order, dated November 2, mentions all the three cases and says that the "IMC clarified that the TV channel can be allowed to carry out the three awards of one day off air concurrently."
Quoting rules under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, the ministry order said that the government "orders to prohibit the transmission or retransmission of News Time Assam TV channel for one day on any platform throughout India with effect from 00:01 hours on 9th November, 2016 till 00:01 hours on 10th November, 2016."
(REOPENS DEL 64)
In yet another order, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has directed that another TV channel 'Care World TV' be taken off air for seven days over objectionable content.
It was alleged that the channel had put out indecent content after which IMC looked into the matter.
Based on its recommendations the Ministry issued the order.
The Ministry in its order said the channel 'Care World TV' should be taken off air for a week from November 9.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Nov 05 2016 | 9:28 PM IST

Next Story