SC lashes out at Govt over falling standards of TV programmes

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) Taking exception to the falling standards of television programmes, the Supreme Court today asked the Government to name even a single programme that can be watched by family members together.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium tried to pacify a three-judge bench comprising Justices B N Aggarwal, G S Singhvi and Aftab Alam, assuring them that the Government was fully aware of the poor quality of programmes telecast on the electronic media.

He asserted that the honourable court would be informed within three weeks about the steps being taken by the Government to keep a watch on and regulate the quality of programmes.

Citing examples, the judges pointed out a programme in which a man in Hyderabad was ready to jump from a six-storey building and instead of stopping him or trying to save, the television channel showed the entire incident. They referred to another programme in which a man immolated himself in front of TV cameras and no efforts were made to stop him from setting himself afire.

The observations came during the hearing of a PIL filed by an NGO 'Common Cause' seeking to lay down some guidelines to check the telecast of objectionable and obscene programmes.

The court was also annoyed with the casual attitude of the Government towards this important issue and wanted to know what has happened to the Bill which was introduced in Parliament two years ago.

The court was also informed that the media was already in the process of devising a self regulatory mechanism to curb the menace and a five-member committee headed by former Chief Justice J S Verma was already on the job.

UNI SC GL RP VC1730