NBDSA not registered with central government under CTN Rules 2021: Anurag Thakur
Thakur, I&B Minister, stated that the CTN Amendment Rules 2021 provide a statutory framework for redressal of grievances in relation to the Programme Code & the Advertising Code
Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), the self-regulatory body set up by the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA), is not registered with the central government under the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021. Thakur further stated that the CTN Amendment Rules 2021 provide a statutory framework for redressal of grievances in relation to the Programme Code and the Advertising Code with a three-level mechanism.
The NBDA, which counts 25 leading national and regional news broadcasting companies as its members, has challenged the CTN Amendment Rules 2021 on multiple counts and has got an interim relief from the Kerala High Court from any coercive action by the MIB for non-implementation of the rules by its member channels. "The National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority is a non-Governmental body and is not registered with the Central Government under the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021," Thakur said in the Lok Sabha.
He noted that the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2021 dated 17th June 2021 provide a statutory framework for redressal of grievances in relation to Programme Code and the Advertising Code with a three-level mechanism, Level-I – Self-regulation by broadcasters, Level-II – Self-regulation by self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters and Level-III oversight mechanism of the Central Government.
Thakur said that the government takes action in appropriate cases where violation of the Programme Code or Advertising Code is established, by the issuance of Advisories, Warnings, Apology scroll orders and off-air orders.
While urging the Kerala HC to restrain MIB from implementing the new rules, the NBDA had argued that Rules 6 and 7 of the Cable TV Rules are beyond the permissible limits of restrictions envisaged under Article 19(2). It also stated that terms such as good taste, snobbish attitude, criticism, anti-national, obscene, deliberate, suggestive, offensive and repulsive used in Rules 6 and 7 of the Cable TV Rules are vague, imprecise, and ambiguous.
The association also said that the MIB has given itself unbridled and excessive powers under the Cable TV Act and Cable TV Rules to regulate content of the news channels on a purely whimsical interpretation of the words used therein. It also contended that the addition of Oversight Mechanism has added multiple layers to the complaint redressal structure and made inroads into judicial power and vests itself with powers reserved exclusively for the judiciary and such exercise of power is without jurisdiction.
It also noted that Rule 18 of the CTN Rules 2021 stipulates that any self-regulatory body can register with the MIB only if it has 40 broadcasters. This stipulation, the NBDA said, is arbitrary, irrational and perverse as there is no justification/basis for requiring 40 broadcasters to be members of a self-regulating body for registering with the ministry.
