ViruRulez Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 NEW DELHI: In what could be a nascent move towards a compulsory time band for adult programming, the government has directed that two shows guilty of vulgarity and abusive language — Bigg Boss and Rakhi ka Insaaf — be aired only between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. While reality show Bigg Boss is telecast on the Colors channel, Rakhi ka Insaaf, compered by actress and item girl Rakhi Sawant, is aired on NDTV Imagine. In its official order issued on Tuesday, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry noted that the contents of the shows were “not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition, especially at prime-time when a large number of children are watching television.†The decision was taken after Monday's meeting of an inter-ministerial committee investigated complaints against the programmes. While the government has played censor before and suspended or even banned shows and channels, I&B officials say this is the first time a move has been taken to compulsorily move a show to a late-night time band in an attempt to protect child viewers. The shift is to take place from Wednesday onwards, and the channels have been told to run a scroll on the screen during the telecast announcing that the content is not suitable for children. The shows must not be repeated on any other time slots, and news channels are being warned not to carry clips in their bulletins. The government has also warned channels to modify their content to comply with the programme code under the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995. The Ministry has also banned South Indian channel SS Music for a period of seven days for showing visuals which were “obscene and vulgar†and “appeared to denigrate women.†Bigg Boss, which is in its fourth season, is a reality show that locks up minor celebrities together in a house for a certain duration, with multiple cameras capturing their every movement. It has been indicted for content which “offends against good taste or decency,†with participants “often shown quarrelling in the programme and using abusive language.†Interestingly, agencies report that the show evicted participants Dolly Bindra and Sameer Soni on Wednesday for breaking rules, abusive verbal duels and indulging in indecent behaviour. This comes on the same day that American actress and model Pamela Anderson entered the Bigg Boss house for a three-day stint, which has provoked further controversy. Ms. Sawant's use of vulgar and abusive language as the host of Rakhi ka Insaaf has been slammed by the I&B Ministry. It also noted that “participants often reveal intimate details of their relationships, resulting in great embarrassment to the viewers watching the programme along with their families and also to the participants in the show.†The show landed in controversy after one participant whom Ms. Sawant had called “impotent†on the show, allegedly sunk into depression and died, for which his family members blamed the host. http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/18/stories/2010111858880100.htm I was thinking of the same thing since a long time. With the gradual change of TV serials from being shows which can be watched with the whole family it was gradually crossing the line and not fit for family viewing anymore. Maybe it is the right time to introduce late night slots and feel this is the right step for India. Frankly speaking I would even say that now with the usage of DTH everywhere there should be a rating for all TV channels too so that people who have kids and watch TV with families can decide which channels to select when going for a channel package. With the current trend softcore TV channels might also evolve very soon and so all channels should be given rating in the future like 18+, PG , All audience etc. similar to way movies are rated.
DomainK Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 The government and the justice system needs to revise ethics and morales in Indian reality television. A few months ago a Bengali minor girl committed suicide after the judges of the reality show she was participating in (some singing competition) humiliated her badly on the show. A few days ago a man committed suicide after Rakhi Swant humiliated him on Rakhi Ka Insaaf. Cheapness sells in India. But it should not happen at other peoples dignity and life.
SachDan Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 Bombay High Court has stayed I&B order and it was aired at the same time slot yesterday.
ViruRulez Posted November 19, 2010 Author Posted November 19, 2010 The government and the justice system needs to revise ethics and morales in Indian reality television. A few months ago a Bengali minor girl committed suicide after the judges of the reality show she was participating in (some singing competition) humiliated her badly on the show. A few days ago a man committed suicide after Rakhi Swant humiliated him on Rakhi Ka Insaaf. Cheapness sells in India. But it should not happen at other peoples dignity and life. I am not against sex or cheapness. I am also not worried by ethics or morales and hardly care about it. But I am a lot worried about the affect of this excess usage of sex and cheapness in TV on small children. It is quite well known that though sex and cheapness sells but it is also one of the biggest distraction to education especially during formative years. More importantly small kids do not have any sexual education and so they would not be able to differentiate what is good and bad and what is safe and unsafe. One incident I remember about the negative effects of During my college days I was staying in a boys hostel (only lodging) for a few months and the landlord also lived with his family consisting of his wife, a 6 year or so old girl and a 11 year or so old boy. The family and especially the small 6 year old girl was addicted to the saas bahu serials and songs etc. The 6 year old girl saw all the vulgar songs in the channels and the multiple marriages and relations in saas-bahu serials and she was gradually becoming a bit weird. She used to imitate vulgar moves and indecent dialogues without realizing them and also used to cut off her clothes to make quite indecent clothes for a small kid. Her parents just kept on neglecting her acts even though I and some of my trusted friends told him not to neglect it. Then some of the boys gradually noticed that the small girl used to go very frequently to the room of one of the hostel boys. And the small 6 year girl used to hide from everybody as did the boy while she went to his room. This made some of the boys suspicious and they told this to uncle and the trusted guys like me and another boy. Then one day everyone silently peeped through a hole in the window to check. They were horrified to see the boy lip kissing and smooching with the 6 year old daughter of the landlord and fondling her. They suddenly realized it and the small girl left his room frightened. We told uncle that night after he came home from office and then the official dhulaai of the boy went and he was kicked and hit by uncle as well as me and the other boys and he was thrown away from the hostel at 9 in the night itself. The guy told in his defense that the small 6 year old girl seduced him into the affair and it was not his mistake. It is quite obvious that he was an adult and it is his responsibility to know right and wrong but it cannot be denied that the TV serials and vulgarity in TV made the 6 year old kid behave in such a manner. Uncle stopped all TV channels after that except news channels and discovery and realized his mistake too. That is one incident where TV had almost destroyed a 6 year old kid. That is why I believe that with the gradual decadence of TV channels should be rated on the basis of what is family friendly and what is not. This is the best time to do so as DTH is nearly mandatory in more and more places. If anyone wants a 18+ or a channel which is not family friendly then they can choose in their package itself. And family channels should be made completely separate where TV shows, serials and telecasts conducive to children and whole family is only telecast. Cheapness or sex on TV should not be stopped but channels should be rated accordingly. It would also make division between mainstream channels from channels either bordering or over the line.
achilles Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 ^ I subscribe with ViruRulez's idea of having separate packages for regular and mature content. I agree with Domaink that a show should not be allowed to run at the cost of someone's dignity and self-respect. Tbh though, people are smart to choose which shows to watch. It is the "real" India that needs to be kept in mind to avoid recurrences of instances of people harming themselves after being subject to dubious content on television.
Aaku Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 Why cant people just avoid what they dont wanna watch :dontknow:
achilles Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 Why cant people just avoid what they dont wanna watch :dontknow: I was watching some debate on a Marathi news channel where the host, though seeming decent, had taken upon himself to corner his guests who said "to each, his own". Its the thinking we are talking about here. Its difficult to change people who have different rules for people and different for themselves.
ViruRulez Posted November 19, 2010 Author Posted November 19, 2010 Why cant people just avoid what they dont wanna watch :dontknow: Aaku I agree with your view but then you are an adult and your view holds justification only for adults or people who have matured enough. I was referring to children and not adults. Children do not have the maturity or the brain to decide what is right and wrong and what they should imitate and what they should not. After you are an adult and especially after you are independent with your own job and earnings everyone is free to enjoy life and lead as they wish unless they are violent or harm anyone else.
Aaku Posted November 19, 2010 Posted November 19, 2010 Aaku I agree with your view but then you are an adult and your view holds justification only for adults or people who have matured enough. I was referring to children and not adults. Children do not have the maturity or the brain to decide what is right and wrong and what they should imitate and what they should not. After you are an adult and especially after you are independent with your own job and earnings everyone is free to enjoy life and lead as they wish unless they are violent or harm anyone else. Child lock features are there to let the parents decide what their kids shoudnt watch. Its a shame that just because they have no control over their children they go about whining asking for such shows to be banned. this is just stupid IMO, changing timings will not help them anyway !:headshake:
ViruRulez Posted November 19, 2010 Author Posted November 19, 2010 Child lock features are there to let the parents decide what their kids shoudnt watch. Its a shame that just because they have no control over their children they go about whining asking for such shows to be banned. this is just stupid IMO, changing timings will not help them anyway !:headshake: Shows should not be banned for sure. I am all for bringing in more vulgarity and sex on TV and do not have any problem with that. I believe that channels need to be rated based on their suitability for family rating or adult audience. To be frank nobody uses child lock and not all TV have the feature. And more importantly unless channels are divided based on the suitability for different ages then the mainstream channels will bring more and more sex and cheapness as it sells. Rating the channels would stop the mainstream channels from doing this and would also allow adult focused channels to be even more open if required
DomainK Posted November 21, 2010 Posted November 21, 2010 One legitimate question would be, how competent is the section of the government that decided to impose this "out of nowhere" restriction? IMO if they are concerned about the quality of the contents of television programs, why not set up an independent committee of competent professionals for the job, have standard rules in place and apply them equally to all the programs? Just like the censor board for movies.
achilles Posted November 21, 2010 Posted November 21, 2010 AXN was banned for 3 months a couple of years back for failing to comply with the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. I think its better for the channels to just do what is said to them.
Sir john Posted November 21, 2010 Posted November 21, 2010 AXN was banned for 3 months a couple of years back for failing to comply with the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. I think its better for the channels to just do what is said to them. AXN get baaned for showing some nu... scene. by the way colors didn't showing these type of thing yet.
Desi Cartman Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 So now they wake up ? I lost all hopes after seeing a clip of MTV Roadies. I am amazed that there is no code of conduct and that programmes are not rated,.
Sir john Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 So now they wake up ? I lost all hopes after seeing a clip of MTV Roadies. I am amazed that there is no code of conduct and that programmes are not rated,. MTV roadies watched by only metros youth.
achilles Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 Roadies is a scripted show. A winner of Roadies said that on Bigg Boss last year and also revealed how things were planned and executed et al.
ViruRulez Posted November 22, 2010 Author Posted November 22, 2010 So now they wake up ? I lost all hopes after seeing a clip of MTV Roadies. I am amazed that there is no code of conduct and that programmes are not rated,. That is exactly what I was saying. Channels need to rated as it is done in western countries too I suppose. If a rating system is not brought soon enough then mainstream channels will bring more and more cheapness, sex, abuses and gaali as these are all TRP pullers. Sex and gaalis are fine but they should be shown in adult rated channels and not in normal channels. It is the age of DTH now and families with children etc. can leave aside the adult package and opt for the mainstream package then. I am not against bringing in more nudity too but just need to rated accordingly.
beetle Posted November 22, 2010 Posted November 22, 2010 Totally agree with the govt on this issue.Having late night slotting and rating of programmes is the best solution.In India most families watch tv together during the prime time slot.It is only fair that programmes aired at this time are fit for viewing by children too.By showing these programmes at the late night slot the govt is trying not to censor these shows.People who want to watch can stay up a little late .
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