9 TV channels taken off air for code violation: I&B Minister Thakur

Nine television channels were taken off air for a specified time period between 2017 and 2022 for programme and advertising code violation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

In reply to a written question, Thakur said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had also issued directions to block 94 YouTube-based news channels and 19 social media accounts, websites and mobile applications under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules during 2021-22.

"The Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) has informed that between 2017 and 2022, it has refused certification to 11 songs," the minister said in response to a question from Congress MP Manish Tewari, a former minister of information and broadcasting.

In reply to a separate question, Thakur said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting asked the Broadcasting Audience Research Council (BARC) in January to resume news ratings keeping in view restructuring steps, systems and processes put in place by them.

He said the BARC has come up with a 'four week rolling average' concept to increase the effective sample size for the news and special interest genre and reduce relative errors in the data.

Thakur said BARC had taken various steps to strengthen corporate governance and streamline processes and transparency following the recommendation of the TRP Committee and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which also is the broadcasting sector regulator.