India accepts AXN apology, lifts ban

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) The government has lifted the ban on entertainment TV channel AXN slapped for airing its programme 'The World's Sexiest Advertisements' which officials described as ''indecent''.

The ban had been imposed on January 17. The transmission or re-transmission of the satellite channel had been prohibited till March 15 throughout the country.

The channel had later apologised to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The Ministry found the channel guilty of telecasting programmes that were ''against good taste or decency and are likely to adversely affect public morality.'' According to the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, the government can 'regulate or prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of a channel on a programme' on all platforms in the name of 'public order, decency, or morality.' Minister for Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had already indicated that his Ministry would not be taking any action against the channel as it believed in forgiving if one apologised for one's mistake.

The channel have apologised for their act, so the ban was being lifted, the Ministry said today.

UNI