AP Govt steps on checking obscene TV programmes

Hyderabad, Sep 5 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy today said the State Government had issued necessary instructions to implement the provisons of Cable Television Networks Act and Rules 1995 to check obscene programmes which were against the public interest.

Making a statement in the Council, the Minister admitted the crime stories titled Nerala Ghoralu, Crime Watch, Finger Prints and Crime File were being telecast regularly in different channels not only in Telugu but also in other languages.

Under the Act, all broadcasters were required to abide by the programme and advertising code prescribed by it. The government had nominated the Commissioners of Police and the District Collectors as authorised officers to take action against cable operators who were operating in contravention of Sec 3 of the Cable Television Networks(Regularisation) Act 1995.

When the members asked whether the government had booked any cases against the channels, he said no case was registered.

To a demand from the Opposition to ban channels violating the Act, the Home Minister said the State Government had no such powers as it was a Central Act.

However, the authorised officers at local level could ban the programmes if they violated the code.

If there was a need to ban any of these obsecene programmes the State Government would submit necessary proposals to the Centre.

However, both Treasury and Opposition members demanded the State Government to constitute a Censor Board for television channels on a par with the Film Censor Board to control obscene and crime programmes.

He said the necessary awareness programmes would be taken up for the public to lodge complaints in such cases.

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