Government receives 73 complaints about inappropriate TV ads in three years

The government has disclosed that regulatory bodies received 73 complaints over the past three years regarding obscene and inappropriate advertisements on private television channels.

In a written response to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan explained that these complaints were addressed through a structured three-tier grievance redressal system. This system, established under the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, involves self-regulation by broadcasters, oversight by self-regulatory bodies within the broadcasting sector, and monitoring by the central government.

Murugan noted that appropriate actions are taken whenever violations of the Advertising Code are identified, including the issuance of advisories, warnings, 'apology scroll' orders, and off-air directives.

In response to a separate query, Murugan stated that OTT platforms are required to comply with the Code of Ethics under Part-III of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. He emphasised that these codes are self-regulatory.

The Code of Ethics stipulates that publishers must refrain from broadcasting content prohibited by law and must categorise content based on age through a self-classification system, adhering to general guidelines set out in the Rules. Murugan pointed out that while conducting this self-classification, publishers should consider the context of the content’s period and contemporary societal norms.

The minister also highlighted that the Code mandates OTT platforms to implement effective measures to restrict access to age-inappropriate content for children.