Karnataka - Bangalore

HC fiat to Centre on TV programme code

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday indicated that it would frame guidelines to look into specific complaints of violation of programme and advertising codes by private television networks, if the Centre did not frame rules.

A Division Bench headed by Justice S.R. Bannurmath made this observation when the Central Government said that it had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, to take cognisance and look into specific complaints on violation of programme and advertising code by private television networks.

The codes, the Additional Solicitor-General, Aravind Kumar, said are defined in Rule 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules of 1984. Apart from the Additional Secretary, the committee comprises the joint secretaries of Home Affairs, Law and Justice, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, External Affairs, Defence and Broadcasting.

A representative from the Advertising Standards Council of India would also be on the committee.

Monitoring committees for private television channels had been set up at the State and district levels. The district magistrate or commissioner of police would head the district committees which would comprise other members.

Mr. Aravind Kumar submitted that the Centre had already filed an affidavit containing details on the committees following a petition by a city-based advocate, A.V. Amarnathan, who said that two Kannada channels, Udaya and ETV, had been telecasting crime-based serials.

Udaya, he said, was telecasting Crime Story, produced and directed by Balakrishna Kakatkar, while ETV was airing Crime Diary, produced and directed by Ravi Belegere.

The serials, telecast between 10 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., show the views of police officials and even interviewed criminals, victims and kin of victims.

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