Centre game for midnight masala

New Delhi, Aug. 28: Indian viewers might soon be able to see “adult” content on their television sets.

The information and broadcasting ministry is considering a change in the rules to allow adult content, with the rider that these be restricted to digitised platforms with effective parental lock facilities.

Official sources said such content is likely to be allowed during “watershed hours” late in the night, as in several other countries. This period is likely to be between 11 pm and 4 am every day.

Digitisation has been proposed to ensure that programmes not certified by the Central Board of Film Certification are not aired on cable television. “During the cable boom in earlier years, several programmes not given CBFC clearance were aired by analog cable operators. This can be effectively curbed by digitising the feed,” sources said.

It is reliably learnt that the I&B ministry changed its present thinking on adult content after it held talks with some broadcasters’ associations on a content code for channels and the setting up of a broadcast regulator.

The information and broadcasting minister, Ms Ambika Soni, had directed the I&B secretary, Mr Raghu Menon to interact regularly with various broadcasters, following which meetings were held with organisations like NBA, IBF and ASCII to build a consensus on a self-regulatory body
Source :: Deccan Chronicle