Information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said the council would comprise industry stakeholders and civil society members and would deal with complaints from people over television content.
A broadcasting council comprising industry stakeholders and civil society members is on the anvil to deal with complaints from people over television content in a time-bound manner.
The setting up of the 13-member Broadcasting Content Complaint Council, to be headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court, has been proposed after over year-long discussions by the information and broadcasting secretary and stakeholders of the sector, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni told reporters on the sidelines of the 'CII Content Summit.'
"It is a self-regulation mechanism. The government has nothing to do with it," Soni said, adding, it is only a draft proposal now which will have to be taken to the cabinet.
The discussions were necessitated to address the cause for discomfort of civil society with some of the programmes, especially in general entertainment channels, she said.
"Individual viewer, if he is annoyed about some telecast or does not accept it, can send a complaint and they will try to address the complaint within a framework of 21 days or so.
"The proposed body will have four stakeholders from the broadcasting sector, four eminent people from the civil society and chairpersons or their nominees from our statutory commissions like those for women, children, scheduled castes or minorities," the minister said.
She said she met home minister P Chidamabaram and law minister Veerappa Moily yesterday to discuss how to take the proposal further to leaders of political parties and other stakeholders. The issues of security concerns and legal cover to the proposal were discussed, she said.
On digitalisation of broadcast media, she said the TRAI roadmap for it may have to be extended by a year keeping in view the nitty-gritty involved. "If not 2013 but soon after we will fix the sunset hour for analogue system."
Earlier, she told the meet that more regional channels should be encouraged to be members of Indian Broadcasting Association or News Broadcasters Association which will lead to some benefits being accrued to them while they will have to accept self-regulation goals announced by them as binding.
"The UPA-II wants a self-regulation system in partnership with the media and general entertainment industry," she said.
She said there were complaints about programme content from civil society, concerned parents and elders and people who see themselves as protector of traditional values. "But we were sure there cannot be a Censor Board-type thing for this."
Soni also said they get huge number of complaints about news media, including from colleagues in public life who say how some channels are "ruining reputation" of individuals.
"We get a lot of flak," she told the organisers, adding in a lighter tone, "When you praise our work we become suspect in the eyes of people who think we are not doing it right...there is Parliament session. I don't think they will say anything like this (praise) but quite the other thing."
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