India bans foreign TV channel for 'World's Sexiest Advertisements'

New Delhi, Jan 17 (UNI) India today banned foreign TV channel AXN for its ''obscene''programme 'World's Sexiest Advertisements'.

The decision has been coveyed to Sony Entertainment that have exclusive right for distribution of the channel in the country.

The Ministry of Information and Braodcasting issued an order prohibiting transmission/retransmission of the satellite channel for two months for telecasting the programme which it said was against all norms of decency and affected public morality.

The ban will remain in force throughout the country till March 15, Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here, adding that the action has been taken under the Cable Television Networks(Regulation) Act, 1995.

The Ministry had been issuing warnings to different foreign channels in the past too for telecasting obscene programmes and had banned five to four channels for such programmes.

No action against foreign channels was possible before the downlinking guidelines that came into force in 2005.

UNI