Authorities Regulating the Media Industry

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting – Government Of India http:// www. Nib. Nice. In/default. Asps The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, through the mass communication media consisting of radio, television, films, the press, publications, advertising and traditional mode of dance and drama plays a significant part in helping the people to have access to free flow of information.

It also caters to the dissemination of knowledge and entertainment to all sections of society, striking a careful balance twine public interest and commercial needs, in its delivery of services. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to information, broadcasting, the press and films. This Ministry is responsible for international co-operation in the field of mass media, films and broadcasting and interacts with its foreign counterparts on behalf of Government of India.

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The mandate of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is: ; News Services through All India Radio (AIR) and Doorman’s (AD) or the people ; Development of broadcasting and television. ; Import and export of films. ; Development and promotion of film industry. ; Organization of film festivals and cultural exchanges for the purpose. ; Advertisement and visual publicity on behalf of the Government of India. ; Handling of press relations to present the policies of Government of India and to get feed-back on the Gobo. Policies. Administration of the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867 in respect of newspapers. ; Dissemination of information about India within and outside the country through publications on matters of national importance. ; Research, Reference and Training to assist the media units of the Ministry to meet their responsibilities. ; Use of interpersonal communication and traditional folk art forms for information/ publicity campaigns on public interest issues. ; International co-operation in the field of information ; mass media.

The following comes under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting – 1) Broadcasting policy and administration 2) Cable television policy 3) Radio 4) Doorman’s 5) Films 6) Advertising and visual publicity ) Press 8) Publications 9) Research and reference Authorities Regulating the Media Industry By Antiradar Press Information Bureau The Press Information Bureau (BIB) is the nodal agency of the Government to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies, programmed, initiatives and achievements.

It functions as an interface between the Government and the media and also provides feedback to the Government on people’s reaction as reflected in the media. BIB has its Headquarters in New Delhi. It is headed by the Principal Director General Media ; Communication) who is assisted by a Director General and eight Additional Director Generals. Besides, the Bureau has Officers in the ranks of Director, Joint Director, Dye. Director, Assistant Director and Media ; Communication Officer who are attached with different Ministries in order of their rank and Ministry’s size, importance and sensitivity.

BIB has a dedicated unit for the publicity and media support to the Prime Minister’s Office (PM). The unit functions on XX basis and compiles media reports on all days including holidays for PM and Cabinet Secretariat. Ii) Directorate of Advertising ; Visual Publicity The Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVE), established in 1955, is the nodal multi-media advertising agency of the Government of India. Over the past 56 years, it has been catering to the communication needs of almost all central Ministries/Departments, autonomous bodies and Us by providing them gingerliness cost-effective service.

It informs and educates the people, both rural and urban, about the government’s policies and programmed and motivates them to participate in developmental activities, through its various vehicles of immunization, biz, Print media advertising, Audio Visual advertising, printed publicity, exhibitions, outdoor publicity and mass mailing. The DAVE is headed by Director General who is assisted by 2 Additional Director Generals and other officials. At it’s headquarter it consists of a Campaign Wing.

Advertising Wing, Printed Publicity Wing, Exhibition Wing, Electronic Data Processing Center, Mass Mailing Unit, Audio-Visual Cell, a Design Studio and Administration and Accounts Wings. ‘v) Registrar of Newspapers for India The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India, more popularly known as RAIN name into being on 1st July, 1956, on the recommendation of the First Press Commission in 1953 and by amending the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867.

The Press and Registration of Books Act contain the duties and functions of the RAIN. On account of some more responsibilities entrusted upon RAIN during all these years, the office is performing both statutory as well as some non-statutory functions. Some of the functions are – ; Compilation and maintenance of a Register of Newspapers containing particulars about all the newspapers published. Issue of Certificate of Registration to the newspapers published under valid declaration; ; Scrutiny and analysis of annual statements sent by the publishers of newspapers every year under Section 19-D of the Press and Registration of Books Act containing availability of titles, to intending publishers for filing declaration; ; Ensuring that newspapers are published in accordance with the provisions of the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867 and the Rules made there under. Verification under Section 19-F of the BRB Act, of circulation claims furnished by the publishers in their Annual Statements; and ; Preparation and submission to the Government on or before 31st December each year, a report containing all available information and statistics about the press in India with particular reference to the emerging trends in circulation and in the direction of common ownership units etc. ; Formulation of Newsprint Allocation Policy – Guidelines and issue of Eligibility Certificate to the newspapers to enable them to import newsprint and to procure indigenous newsprint. Assessing and certifying the essential need and requirement of newspaper establishments to import printing and composing machinery and allied materials. V) Directorate of Field Publicity Directorate of Field Publicity with its headquarters in New Delhi is the largest rural oriented interpersonal communication medium in the country. It operates as a two- way channel for dissemination of information among masses and gathering feed back for the Government. It acts as a bridge between the people and the Government.

Established in 1953 as ‘Five Year Plan Publicity Organization’ with the sole objective of publicity of Five Year Plans, the Directorate assumed its present aroma and role in 1959 with its publicity scope widened and made all inclusive. Over the years, its areas of operation as also its aims and objectives have been diversified. Briefly they are:- (a) to inform, educate, motivate and involve the people, especially at the grass root level, in the process of development so that the vision of the framers of the Constitution as outlined in its preamble is realized. B) to generate public opinion for the implementation of developmental programmed and mobile popular participation in the process of nation building. (c) to keep the public, especially the eager, the marginalia and the remotely placed people informed about the policies and the programmer of the Government and generate awareness on several national and social issues of relevance. (d) to keep the Government informed of the people’s reactions to its programmed and policies and their implementation at the field level thereby facilitating corrective measures as and when required. ‘) Press Council of India Press Council is a statutory quasi-Judicial authority mandated by the Parliament to preserve the freedom of the press and maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and the news agencies in India. It is an autonomous body with equal quasi Judicial authority over the authorities and the press persons. The Council discharges its functions primarily through adjudications on complaint cases received by it, either against the Press for violation of Journalistic ethics or by the Press for interference with its freedom.

Where the Council is satisfied, after inquiry, that a newspaper or a news agency has offended against the standards of Journalistic ethics or public taste or that an editor or working Journalist has committed any professional misconduct, the Council may warn, admonish or censure them or observations as it may think in respect of the conduct of any authority, including Government, for interfering with the freedom of the press. The decisions of the Council are final and cannot be questioned in any court of law.

The Press Council of India has been entrusted by the Parliament with the additional responsibility of functioning as an Appellate Authority under Section 8 (c) under the BRB Act 1867 and the Appellate Board comprising of the Chairman of the Council and another member meet regularly to hear the Appeals before it. Vii) Film Certification Appellate Tribunal The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FACT) is a statutory body, constituted vide Section AD of the Cinematographer Act, 1952 under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

The Tribunal hears the appeals filed under Section C of the Act under which any applicant for a Certificate in respect of a film who is aggrieved by an order of the Central Board of Film Certification (CB), can file an Appeal before the Tribunal. The Tribunal has its headquarters in New Delhi. The Tribunal has a Secretary to look after its day to day affairs. Viii) Central Board of Film certification Central Board of Film certification (CB) with its headquarters at Iambi is responsible for certifying the films produced in India as well as outside the country suitable for public exhibition.

The Board gives four categories of certificates “U” for unrestricted public exhibition, “A” for public exhibition restricted to adults only, “LILA” for unrestricted public exhibition with parental guidance for children below the age of 12 and “S” for exhibition to restricted audience such as doctors etc. These certificates are issued through the Regional Offices of the Board located at Bangor, Calcutta, Achaean, Cutback, Kuwaiti, Hydrated, Iambi, New Delhi and Authoritarianism.

Appeal against the decision of the Board lies with the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal. The enforcement of the penal provisions of the Cinematographer Act, 1952 is with the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, since exhibition of films is a State subject. ‘x) The Advertising Standards Council of India The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCII) is a self regulatory voluntary organization of the advertising industry. It was set up in October 1985.

The ASCII and TTS Consumer Complaints Council deals with complaints received from consumers and industry, against Ads which are considered as False, Misleading, Indecent, Illegal, leading to Unsafe practices, or Unfair to competition, and consequently in contravention of the ASCII Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising. The representatives of Indian Society of Advertisers, the Advertising Agencies Association of India and the Indian Newspapers Society have set up the Council to self-regulate the content of advertisements.

The Code of the Council for Self-Regulation in Advertising specifies hat all advertising should be truthful, honest, decent, legal and safe for consumers particularly minors, and fair to the competition. X) Copyright Board The Copyright Board, a quasi-Judicial body, was constituted in September 1958. The jurisdiction of the Copyright Board extends to the whole of India. The Board is registration, assignment of copyright, grant of Licenses in respect of works withheld from public, unpublished Indian works, production and publication of translations and works for certain specified purposes.

It also hears cases in other miscellaneous taters instituted before it under the Copyright Act, 1957. The meetings of the Board are held in five different zones of the country. This facilitates administration of Justice to authors, creators and owners of intellectual property including IP attorneys near their place of location or occupation. X’) Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India The entry of private service providers brought with it the inevitable need for independent regulation. The Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India (TRAIT) was, thus, established with effect from 20th February 1997 by an Act of Parliament, called the

Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997, to regulate telecoms services, including fixation/revision of tariffs for telecoms services which were earlier vested in the Central Government. Trait’s mission is to create and nurture conditions for growth of telecommunications in the country in a manner and at a pace which will enable India to play a leading role in emerging global information society. One of the main objectives of TRAIT is to provide a fair and transparent policy environment which promotes a level playing field and facilitates fair competition.