Monday, August 8 2005 19:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Sharing members' concern over "gory contents" appearing in TV channels, the Government today (Aug 8, 2005) said it has served notice to 14 channels and temporarily suspended uplinking facility of a broadcaster to check the trend.

Though not naming the defaulting channels, which had been served notices, Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy said in the Rajya Sabha that it had been made clear to them to strictly abide by programme and advertising code guidelines.

He said in another case, "an offending news and current affairs channel" was asked to telecast a warning issued to it by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a period of three days.

Replying to a calling attention motion on adverse impact of TV programmes on children, the Minister said though the media had expressed opposition, the Government proposes to go ahead with setting up of an autonomous mechanism to regulate the content broadcast by TV channels.

He said the body would be formed on the lines of the Press Council of India.