No spicy replays during the day

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

New Delhi (UNI): Putting a curb on dishing out spicy scenes and violence to viewers in the garb of news has thrown up a very difficult task before those drafting the new broadcasting code. Finding it near impossible to prevent appearance of ''near A category'' scenes weaved in the fabric of news, the authors of the new code are mulling some other measures to check the impact of such scenes on children. TV channels may be asked to run a scroll before showing any clips of such programmes during news warning that ''the following scene was not suitable for universal viewing.'' The foreknowledge of what was coming may help parents to switch off the TV or change the channel. Besides, there might be a ban on the rerun in the day of the programme on crimes and violence which are teleacst late in the night.

There remains no point in giving late night slot to such programmes if these are telecast again the following day, the committee felt. Telecast of programmes on adult subject may also be restricted to late night hours. These options were seriously considered at the latest meeting of the committee on the broadcsating code set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, according to a member of the committee News is the domain where codes of decency are violated without the fear of the programme being taken off the air.

Sometime, back news channels telecast scenes of dancers in G-string in Nepal casinos in the context of some crime story, a scene which was otherwise not meant for universal viewing. The same problem arises when it comes to violence scenes. ''Suppose if some violence has broken out, TV channels cannot be given a blanket order not to show it. Determining the extent of coverage is also not an easy task,'' said an Information and Broadcasting Ministry official. Regulating content and coverage of news poses much more difficulties than any other programme, said an expert on the committee. Sometimes there are very thin boundaries between the desirability and undesirability of telecasting a news programmes on the ground of its benefit for the society, he said.