Empower ministry to take strict action against TV ads: Ambika Soni

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Tuesday sought support of MPs to take strict action against television channels broadcasting objectionable advertisements.

Soni made this appeal in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour as she was flooded with demands for action against television channels showing advertisements which are demeaning and derogatory to women.

She said there were 15 different laws to check content on television and print media and the government had been criticised on many occasions when it had issued advisories to erring media.

"I can work within the ambit of the law. I cannot issue a directive for action against any particular channel or newspaper," Soni said, urging MPs to empower the hands of the ministry to enable strict action against such channels.

Soni pointed out that the government had faced legal notices whenever it had issued advisories to television channels.

She said in the past one year government had issued 105 notices and on 85 occasions advertisements had been changed or dropped by channels concerned. In 15 cases the government was facing litigation, she said.

Soni said a draft Bill to tackle the issue of objectionable advertisements in media has been put up on the website of the I&B ministry and asked members to give their suggestions on the matter.