Do not encourage superstition and blind faith I&B Ministry tells all TV channels

Babas and Gurus are under the I&B scanner now. Ministry on 07 June 2013 gave 15 days time to stop all programmes which encourage supenstition and blind belief.

 

Ministry has noted the miraculous solutions of all problems are offered by the self-proclaimed Babas and Gurus in these programmes. A number of TV channels are also showing advertisements/advertorials for promoting certain products. Unsubstantiated claims are made in these advertisements/advertorials about the impact of a product. The ordinary and gullible audience is trapped easily believing them to be true. Such advertisements/ advertorials, therefore, are not only misleading, they also appear to encourage superstition and blind belief among the viewers.

Most advertorials relating to Astrology, Vastu, so called discourses by Gurus and self-proclaimed healers are being shown for hours together in such a way that might lead viewers to believe they are watching programme even though they are actually watching advertisements. This is a complete violation of the Advertising Code, particularly rule 7(5), contained in the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.

Ministry has been regularly bringing to the notice of all TV Channels, Indian Broadcasting Foundation (lBF), News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) instances where such content has violated the rules and regulations. It had issued an Advisory on 13.05.2010 to all TV channels and IBF/NBA/ASCI advising them to follow in letter and spirit  the rules 6(1)(j) and 7(5) of Cable Television Networks  Rules, 1994 and a letter to all ry channels and IBF/NBA on29J1.2Q11 advising them to telecast programmes with due care and maturity, particularly in respect of programmes that encourage superstition and blind belief, strictly adhering to the programme Code prescribed under the Cable Television  Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rules framed there under.

No advertisement shall contain references which are likely to lead the public to infer that the product advertised or any of its ingredients has some special or miraculous or super-natural property or quality, which is difficult of being proved.

Section 5 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 read with Rule 6(1)(j) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, as amended from time to time, provides that no programme can be transmitted/ retransmitted through Cable Service which encourages superstition or blind belief.

Section 6 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 read with Rule 7(5) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, as amended from time to time also provides that "no advertisement shall contain references which are likely to lead the public to infer that the product advertised or any of its ingredients has some special or miraculous or super-natural property or quality, which is difficult of being proved".
According to the basic conditions/ obligations of permission/ approval for Uplinking/ Downlinking of TV channels in India, the channels are bound to follow the Programme Code and Advertising Code as prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder.

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has once again advised all the TV channels including News and Current Affairs Channels to telecast programmes/ advertisements/features/Newsitems/ Special Reports with due care and maturity, particularly in a way not to encourage superstition & blind belief and mislead viewers, strictly adhering to Rule 6(1)(j) of the Programme Code and Rule 7(5) of Advertising Code prescribed under the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
All TV Channels including News and Current Affairs Channels have also been advised to send a compliance report within a period of 15 days from the date of issue of this Advisory ie 07 June 2013. Any violation of the Programme Code/Advertising Code would attract penal provisions detailed in Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the terms and conditions of uplinking and downlinking guidelines that includes cancellation of uplinking/downlinking permission of the erring channel.

Source: http://cablequest.org/articles/regulations/item/2762-do-not-encourage-superstition-and-blind-faith-i-b-ministry-tells-all-tv-channels.htmlSource: http://cablequest.org/articles/regulations/item/2762-do-not-encourage-superstition-and-blind-faith-i-b-ministry-tells-all-tv-channels.html