Monday, August 8 2005 16:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Concerned over the adverse impact of some TV programmes on children and adolescents, Government today (Aug 8, 2005) said it was considering guidelines for regulating channels uplinked from abroad and beamed into India.

This is in addition to regulating channels uplinked from India for which strict guidelines already existed for specifically prohibiting telecast of programmes unsuitable for children, Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy told the Rajya Sabha.

Making a statement on a calling attention notice on the issue, Reddy said Government was also considering an autonomous mechanism to continuously monitor and regulate content broadcast by the electronic media.

He said the Government was seized of the concern of members regarding the adverse effect of unsuitable content in the electronic media on the impressionable minds of children and adolescents.

For the electronic media, he said programmes and advertising codes prescribe strict guidelines that all channels are expected to adhere to.

These guidelines specifically prohibit telecast of programmes unsuitable for children at times when they are likely to be viewed by large numbers.

An inter-ministerial committee examines cases of violation of codes, he said adding in the recent past permission for transmission of one channel was suspended for 30 days and in another case a warning were issued.