Center all set to implant body to regulate inappropriate content against television & radio

Center all set to implant body to regulate inappropriate content against television & radio

Amid growing concerns of over-regulating and muzzling of free speech by the Centre, the government is planning to regulate television and radio channels against 'inappropriate content'.

Centre has decided to set up a grievance redressal mechanism against objectionable content telecast on TV news and entertainment channels, and FM and community radio.

This essentially implies that television and radio stations which were following a self-regulatory mechanism so far will now be held liable against complaints filed by people against their content.

If anyone has a complaint regarding any content broadcast over television or radio, one can lodge a complaint with the chairman of the district level monitoring committee.

People can also register their complaints online at pgportal.gov.in, or directly send their grievances to the Union information and broadcasting ministry, said the Asian Age report.

In January this year, Supreme Court had directed the government to set up a statutory mechanism for redressal of complaints against "contents of private TV channels and radio stations and accord due publicity to the measures to enable citizens approach it with their grievances."

The report claims that the grievance redressal mechanism was put in place after several complaints were made on "indecent, inflammatory and inappropriate content being broadcast."