[cr-india] MIB admits 'centralized monitoring of FM & CRS content unworkable'

[Ram Bhat]

Dear All,

We have been saying that monitoring is not feasible for years now - even
though some dubious 'experts' have been pushing for monitoring through
recommending some softwares etc. It defied common sense and logic from Day
1. Now, the report mentions that the committee is on the verge of
formalising complaints redressal mechanisms by giving it statutory status.

This is something that has come up even in our recommendations during the
last TRAI consultations, and has been recommended in various news articles
many of us have written in the past.

Now I&B will prefer associating complaint redressal to local authorities
but that has been tried before with discouraging results. Neither do we
have self regulatory associations like TV stations do. Only 2 options
remain - I&B collects the complaints - in which case there is a conflict of
interest, and if it comes up, we should oppose it strongly.

Thus, the last option - of TRAI being the nodal entity makes sense. We
should advocate for a CR cell at TRAI that is equipped with a listener
complaints phone number and email. They can have a hearing once every
quarter, with appeal process incorporated for CR stations to defend
themselves. CR stations must broadcast the news about this mechanism on air
so listeners are aware of it. Unresolved issues at TRAI could be moved to
TDSAT and then higher courts without involving political entities like I&B.
Telecom works somewhat like this and no reason why CR cannot.

As I have mentioned earlier, we have precedent for this in Canadian
legislation. Perhaps this can be put on top of the list in the
recommendations to be handed over formally to I&B as part of the National
Consultations. This matter is a bit of a priority for the government
vis-a-vis the Common Cause PIL proceedings in Supreme Court, so we would do
well to push it from our side.

best,

Ram


On Tue, Apr 25, 2017 at 8:13 AM, N.Ramakrishnan <nram at ideosyncmedia.org>
wrote:

> Hmm...
>
> http://www.indiantelevision.com/regulators/ib-ministry/govt-
> admits-centralised-content-monitoring-of-tv-and-radio-non-workable-170425
>
> Ramakrishnan
>
> --
> N.Ramakrishnan
>
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