Centre to monitor TV content set up

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has set up the centre to keep a check on content of private television channels.

To keep a check on content of private television channels, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has set up a monitoring centre.

The issue still continues to be a bone of contention between the government and private broadcasters. The Rs 16-crore centre was set up at Prasar Bharati office near Indraprastha Extension here last week. It can monitor over 100 televisions channels simultaneously.

Ministry sources said preparations to set up the centre began six months ago and its main focus will be to keep track of programmes that violate the Programmes and Advertising Codes under Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

The centre has been designed on a web-based system which facilitates monitoring of channels and signals. It can record content and retrieve recorded footage.

The Code prescribed under the proposed Broadcasting Bill has however come under fire with TV channels saying the step demonstrates the government's desire to control free media.

The National Broadcasters Association, a recently-formed association of private television channels, has already submitted its proposals on content regulation to the ministry.

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