As many as 94 YouTube news channels, 19 social media accounts, websites and mobile applications under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules were also pulled down during 2021-22.
New Delhi: As many as nine television channels were taken off air for a specific time between 2017 and 2022 for programme and advertising code violations, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur at Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In reply to a written question, Thakur said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had also issued orders to block 94 YouTube 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.
In response to a question by Congress MP Manish Tewari, the minister said, “The Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) has informed that between 2017 and 2022, it has refused certification to 11 songs.” Tewari is a former minister of information and broadcasting.
Replying to a separate question, the Union minister said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had asked the Broadcasting Audience Research Council (BARC) in January to resume news ratings keeping in view the restructuring steps, systems and processes put in place by them.
Thakur added the BARC has come up with a ‘four week rolling average’ concept to increase the effective sample size for news and special interest genre and reduce relative errors in data.
The minister further 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.
(With Agency Inputs)
