NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Ministry is keeping a check on all the international channels that are downlinking in India.

The ministry sources told indiantelevision.com that the Electronic Media Monitoring Cell (EMMC) is closely monitoring all the 89 channels from abroad which had so far been permitted to downlink in India.

Of these channels, 33 channels are beaming exclusively in English while another 33 are beaming in English, Hindi and one or more regional languages.

While 15 are beaming in English and Hindi, two channels are in Japanese and English, two in French, and one each in Korean-English, German-English, Tamil, and Hindi.

Since the channels are beamed by companies having a registered office in India, they are also covered under the Cable TV Networks (Regulations) Act 1995, the Inter-Ministerial Committee which is empowered to act on complaints as well as suo motu, and the self-regulation mechanisms of the private channels - the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council, and the News Broadcasting Regulatory Authority.

NEW DELHI: The Government has reiterated that there is no proposal to set up a Broadcast Regulator in view of the self-regulatory mechanisms set up by the news and general entertainment channels.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials also confirmed that the existing regulatory framework in the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 is adequate.

In fact, the Ministry has made it clear to the Indian Broadcasting Foundation that the Broadcast Content Complaints Council set up earlier this year and the IBF‘s Content Code and Certification Rules should follow the existing Codes under the Act.

Senior Ministry officials have also said there was no proposal at present to scrap the Broadcast Services Regulatory Authority Bill as the government would want to see how self-regulation works.

The officials also told indiantelevision.com that the Inter-Ministerial Committee which suo motu examines issues or hears complaints received from the viewers has recently been re-constituted with the addition of the Joint Secretary in the Consumer Affairs Ministry after the Prime Minister had asked that Ministry to check misleading advertisements.

The IMC will also examine any complaints forwarded to it by the self-regulatory bodies of the news and general entertainment channels.

As far as radio goes, it would be guided by the policy guidelines for FM Radio Phase III announced by the Government.

NEW DELHI: The government has asked all television channels to disclose complete information pertaining to SMS or call rates which are applicable to quiz shows continuously through scroll or display in the language of the programme and ensure that callers are not unnecessarily put on hold for long periods.

Once a winner is decided, he/she should be informed immediately and no further calls should be put on hold or SMSs solicited, according to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Transparency and fair dealing is necessary in the conduct of these programmes so that the viewers/participants do not feel cheated or duped while taking part in such programmes, the directive says.

In guidelines for Conduct and Carriage of such programmes issued under section 20 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995, the Ministry has made it clear that deliberately keeping telephones on hold for long periods or charging exorbitant fee for SMS for quiz
shows on television offends good taste and decency and is, therefore, violative of Rule 6(1)(a) of the rules under the Act.

Furthermore, any misleading advertisement about these shows that does not give adequate information about charges etc. will violate Rule 7(1) of the Rules under the Act.

The Ministry has also said a channel is responsible for adhering to the Act and the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines and can‘t, therefore, take refuge under the excuse that a programme has been produced by a third party and the channels merely sell air time to these parties.

Noting that channels questioned by the Ministry said they had no direct control over the production, format of the programme or any alleged calls received from participants, the Ministry has also made it clear that no channel can relegate its responsibility on the nature of the programme or advertisements. .

The Guidelines came after frequent complaints about exorbitant rates charges for calls, and some callers being kept on hold for long periods, thus having to pay huge sums on mobile phone calls which are inflated for such programmes. Some of the complainants said the format of these programmes was such as to dupe the callers and viewers.