The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has expressed shock at the television content that is being telecast after 10 p.m., especially the medical talk shows. The court also observed that some of the advertisements there were telecast on television channels exhibited obscenity and were viewed by people of all ages.
A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and B. Pugalendhi, who had restrained the television channels from telecasting such obscene content on November 12, in their detailed order observed that the content being telecast was in violation of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules, 1994.
The judges said that such content attracted Section 16 of the Act which speaks about the punishment for contravention of the provisions of the Act. Similarly, as per Rule 7(1) of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, the programmes telecast should not offend the morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers.
Further, as per Rule 7(2), the cable operators should ensure that the programmes telecast adhered to established norms. However, there are numerous television channels and obscene programmes and advertisements are telecast round-the-clock. It will definitely affect the minds of youngsters and children, the judges said.
It is clear that there is no censorship for advertisements and programmes which are being telecast on the television channels, the court said and ordered notice to the Centre and the State. The Centre has to answer on the censorship of programmes telecast on television channels as contemplated under Section 5(A) of the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the judges said. The court adjourned the hearing in the public interest litigation petition filed seeking a direction to the authorities concerned to regulate the television content, till December 1.
