Broadcast Code in India

With the recent banning of FTV till 21st March by I&B Ministry, the regulation debate
seems to have returned once again after it hit headlines in the post Mumbai attack
scenario. It had showed “indecent” stuff during the day which can be shown only after 11
p.m. at night. It is another matter that the same I&B ministry has a Film Censor board
that clears profanities and bikini scenes for films in the name of creative freedom.

Television in India has come to the forefront in the last 10 years. From two channels prior
to 1991, there are now around 500 channels with multiple operators and niche channels.
This explosion has posed challenges for ethics, accountability and transparency across the
industry.
Since 1997, there has been the Prasar Bharati Act, promising
autonomy, and the Cable Regulation Act, almost equally liberal. The rules of
programming are there in the programme code of the Cable Act of 1995 for all to follow.
Since the ministry cannot monitor the content of each of them, the sector has remained
virtually without any regulation.

But the media seems to have little respect for this autonomy and has involved in all sorts
of frivolous activity.
Rule 7 (11), Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 states: “No programme shall carry
advertisements exceeding 12 minutes per hour.” An analysis of prime time of six news
channels showed that the violation of this law is more the norm than the exception . Five
of the six news channels of this study had an average of around 30% and on some
channels, 60% of prime time slots went to ads!
There was this fake sting operation against Delhi school teacher Uma Khurana- a totally
fabricated television story that sparked off riots in the Capital. This was a blatant
violation of all canons of journalistic ethics.

Given the background of how our advertisement dependent media has degenerated and is
still struggling for revenue, the question is, “Should we bring broadcasting industry under
a more stringent regulatory regime?”

Before moving further let us take a look at the Broadcasting:

Although, the Broadcast Code was chiefly set up to govern the All India Radio, they have
ideally been practiced by all Broadcasting and Television Organization; viz: -

To ensure the objective presentation of news and fair and unbiased comment
To promote the advancement of education and culture
To raise and maintain high standards of decency and decorum in all programmes
To provide programmes for the young which, by variety and content, will inculcate the
principles of good citizenship
To promote communal harmony, religious tolerance and international understanding
To treat controversial public issues in an impartial and dispassionate manner
To respect human rights and dignity 

Broadcast codes also do not permit:

a. Criticism of friendly countries
b. Attack on religions or communities
c. Anything obscene or defamatory
d. Incitement to violence or anything against maintenance of law and order
e. Anything amounting to contempt of court
f. Aspersion against the integrity of the President, Governors and the Judiciary
g. Attack on a political party by name
h. Hostile criticism of any state or the centre
i. Anything showing disrespect to the Constitution or advocating change in the
Constitution by violence, but advocating changes in a constitutional way should not be
debarred.
j. Appeal for funds except for the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, at a time of
External Emergency or if the Country is faced with a natural calamity such as floods,
earthquake or cyclone
k. Direct publicity for or on behalf of an individual or organisation which is likely to
benefit only that individual or organisation
l. Trade names in broadcasts which amount to advertising directly (except in commercial
services

The greatest difficulty about setting standards in black and white is that we cannot have a
standard code for all times. Our standards of morality are evolving. Ten years back, there
were protests following some intimate scenes between two women in Water, the Deepa
Mehta film; today, there we have movies like Dostana, showing more or less the same
content, with hardly any dissent. Society is constantly evolving its moral code. At the
same time there cannot be a diktat from the government on what constitutes appropriate
content.

The government did propose a regulatory measure in the form of Broadcasting Service
Regulation Bill in 2007 but it was vehemently opposed. Like it or not, any proposed
content regulation in India is usually viewed as censorship as is the case with the existing
Indian censorship system of movies.
The News Broadcasters’ Association submitted a proposal to the Centre marking an
important step towards establishing internal or self-regulatory checks on their operations.
Apart from a Code of Ethics, the proposal includes the setting up of a Disputes Redressal
Authority to entertain and decide on complaints with respect to the content of any
broadcast.

Within India’s complex, dynamic and evolving media environment, one alternative form
of regulation can be a concept called co-regulation . It is essentially a cooperative form of
regulation to achieve public objectives, some elements of self-regulation as well as of
traditional command and control regulation. The possible prime benefits of co-regulation
can be the expertise and flexibility offered by a more specialized industry-based
organization and also a detached regulatory organization that is accountable.

While there can no perfect system, it’s time the key stakeholders- private broadcasters,
government, civil society and viewers get together to evolve a system that will help meet
the larger goals.
Broadcast on All India Radio by individuals will not permit:

1. Criticism of friendly countries;

2. Attack on religions or communities;

3. Anything obscene or defamatory;

4. Incitement to violence or anything against maintenance of law & order

5. Anything amounting to contempt of court;

6. Aspersions against the integrity of the President, Governors and the Judiciary.

7. Attack on a political party by name;

8. Hostile criticism of any State or the Center;

9. Anything showing disrespect to the Constitution or advocating change in the

Constitution by violence; but advocating changes in a constitutional way should not be
debarred.

10. Appeal for funds except for the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, at a time of
External Emergency or if the Country is faced with a natural calamity such a floods,
earthquake or cyclone.

11. Direct publicity for or on behalf of an individual or organization which is likely to

benefit only that individual or organization.

12. Trade names in broadcasts which amount to advertising directly (except in Commercial
Services).

Footnote :

1. The code applies to criticism in the nature of personal tirade either of a friendly
Government or of political party or of the Central Government or any State
Government. But it does not debar reference to and/or dispassionate discussion of
policies pursued by any of them.

2. If a Station Director finds that the above Code has not been respected in any particular
by an intending broadcaster he will draw the latter’s attention to the passage
objected to. If the intending broadcaster refuses to accept the Station Director’s
suggestions and modify his accordingly, the Station Director will be justified in refusing
his or her broadcast.

3. Cases of unresolved differences of opinion between a Minister of State Government and

the Station Director about the interpretation of the Code with regard to a talk to be
broadcast by the former will be referred to the Minister of Information and
 Broadcasting, Government of India who will decide finally whether or not any change
in the text of the talk is necessary in order to avoid violation of the Code.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR TELEVISION/RADIO BROADCASTS IN

CONNECTION WITH ELECTIONS

The Election Commission (EC) recognises the significance of television and radio in the
coverage of elections. Their reach is widespread and impact substantial. On the one hand,
the electronic media can be misused to favour one party or another. But on the other
hand, the EC recognises that electronic media can, if used properly be an important
source of information for voters across the country. It can provide the widest first hand
education for voters on political parties, their symbols, various leaders and different
issues in the election. This is why electronic media all over the world is the single biggest
source of information of voters in terms of debates, campaign, coverage etc.

It is essential therefore that a model code of conduct is established for electronic media
both to ensure that it is not misused as well as to ensure that it be used in the best interest
of democracy and the voter.

Listed below are the Dos and Don’ts for election coverage on electronic media.

DONTs

1. There should be no coverage of any election speeches or other material that

incites violence, against one religion, against one language, against one group etc.

2. In any constituency, only one candidate should not be projected. While it is

not necessary to cover every single candidate (as some constituencies may
have several candidates), at least the more important candidates should be
covered in any reports from a constituency.

3. The following could be covered in a balanced and fair manner:-

 Campaigning and excerpts from campaign speeches.

 Symbols, banners, flags and other campaign materials of parties.
 Results of opinion polls by non-political, professional organisations
with a proven track record.
 Party manifestoes (critical analysis of which is also perfectly
legitimate.)
 Candidates and their views in different constituencies across the
country.
  The positions taken by the main parties on different issues important
to the electorate.
 Debates between major parties and candidates.
 Analysis of previous voting patterns, victory margins, swings etc.

4. By ‘balanced and fair’ it is meant that among the major political parties:-

 No political parties should be given substantially more coverage than

others. The ‘balance’ need not be achieved in any single day or in a
single story, but over a reasonable period of time, say one week.

 Balance does not mean each party must get exactly the same air time
to the last second, but parties should be given broadly the same amount of
time.

 Balance implies that to no reasonable person should it appear that

one political party is being projected to the exclusion of others.

5. Procedures:

 All producers must record a copy of their programme off air for use
as reference in case of any disputes.

 The EC shall be the final arbiter in any dispute.

6. The final interpretation of any disputed passage or story should be with

 The Election Commission .In Case of disagreement with the

broadcaster, one authority could be nominated by the Election
Commission who could take a decision immediately when approached.

*Subsequent clarifications-

Opinion/Gallop Polls are not to be published/broadcast during the period 48hrs before
each phase of polling till the completion of the phase of polling.

Exit poll results are not to be published/broadcast before the completion of each phase of
polling.

What is a Teaser
Imagine the rather usual sight and spectacle. You are in the midst of a darkened movie
theatre and you are about to watch a movie. But for most of time, you look forward to the
interval. This is because you would want to chomp on burgers and popcorn. This is also
because you want to watch out the teasers and trailers of the upcoming films. You want to
watch these teaser trailers, because you want to come again to the darkened theatres and
watch yet again another movie. And then you would also want to see the next set of teaser
trailers again. And this is how the entire thing goes on and on.

Ever since the time of the talkies, the teaser trailers have been the quintessential feature
of the movie theatre experience. The trailers would begin right away before the main
reels would start rolling. The purpose of the trailers has been pretty much the same all
through these years. The teasers are meant to introduce a new film to the dazzled
audiences. A teaser trailer of a new film would feature moments and clips from the film.
There would be dialogues or sequences, which would explain a basic outline of the plot
of the film. Often, the trailers would also be accompanied with a narration and audio
commentary, on the cast of characters and the plot of the movie as well. These features
would often enthrall the movie-going audiences.

The teaser trailers have become more glossy and colorful with the innovations in
technology. Countries like USA, India and China are some countries, where films are
exceedingly popular. Here, the respective film fraternities like Hollywood and bollywood
spend a lot of money on films featuring actors and produced by big production houses
and banners. advertising through media like TV, Radio and Internet play a key role in
making films more successful than ever. The promos or teaser trailers of the big budget
films are often shot and made with a lot of money. So, the producers intend to make
money out of their advertising methods as well.

But teaser trailers are different from the screenings and previews at the big film festivals
and other such occasions. The screenings are for introducing the film to the critics and
other such audiences. The teaser trailers are primarily meant for the masses, which go to
theatres.

Of late, a lot of creativity, imagination and money is being spent on the ad campaigns.
The focus is not merely on explaining the plot to the audience. It is also on creating an
aura around the film. Films with stars and razzle-dazzle are usually advertised in teasers,
which have a lot of color and attractive designs. In this way, making teaser trailers has
become a full-fledged means of making money through the films produced for people.

A teaser campaign is an advertising campaign which typically consists of a series of

small, cryptic, challenging advertisements that anticipate a larger, full-blown campaign
for a product launch or otherwise important event. These advertisements are called
"teasers" or "teaser ads". A teaser trailer is a short trailer used to advertise an upcoming
film, television program, video game or similar, usually released long in advance of the
product, so as to "tease" the audience.

Movie teasers, unlike typical theatrical trailers, are usually very short in length (between
30–60 seconds) and usually contain little, if any, actual footage from the film.
Sometimes, it is merely a truncated version of a theatrical trailer. Teasers are usually only
made for big-budget and popularly themed movies. Their purpose is less to tell the
audience about a movie's content than simply to let them know that the movie is coming
up in the near future, and to add to the hype of the upcoming release. Teaser trailers are
often made while the film is still in production or being edited and as a result they may
feature scenes or alternate versions of scenes that are not in the finished film. Other ones
(notably Pixar films) have scenes made for use in the trailer only. Teaser trailers today are
increasingly focused on internet downloading and the convention circuit.

An early example of the teaser trailer was the one for the Superman film by Richard
Donner. The film was already nearly a year late; it was designed to re-invigorate interest
in the release. The teaser for the Batman film starring Michael Keaton was an emergency
marketing move that successfully convinced angered comic book fans that the film would
respect the source material.[citation needed]

Recent examples of major motion picture events that used teaser trailers to gain hype are
the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Disney/Pixar film Cars, the newer Star Wars films and
the Spider-Man films. The Da Vinci Code teaser trailer was released even before a single
frame of the movie had been shot.[citation needed] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince's
teaser trailer was released surprisingly late, but when it was pushed back from November
21, 2008 to July 17, 2009, the trailer was surprisingly early. Some teasers have appeared
over a year (or longer) prior to the movie's release date. For example, a teaser for The
Incredibles was attached to the May 2003 film Finding Nemo, a full 18 months before
The Incredibles was released. Sometimes a movie goes through so many revisions that
there is a long delay between trailer and release. Where the Wild Things Are had a teaser
with How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2000 but was not released until 2009. It was the
longest such gap in history.

A teaser for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was attached to the films The
Siege and A Bug's Life, and it was reported that many people had paid for admission to
the film just to watch the trailer, and had walked out after the trailer had been screened.[1]
Teasers for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III:
Revenge of the Sith were shown before the Pixar Films Monsters Inc. and The
Incredibles.The teaser trailer for Cloverfield was first publicly shown attached to the film
Transformers. At this point, nothing about the film was known, and the one-and-a-half-
minute teaser did not include the movie title; only the producer's name, J. J. Abrams and a
release date, 1.18.08, were shown. The teaser trailer for another film directed by Abrams,
the 11th Star Trek movie was attached to Cloverfield itself, depicting the starship USS
Enterprise being constructed on Earth, and again showing no title.

Many DVD versions of movies will have both their teaser and theatrical trailers. One of
the more notable exceptions to this rule is Spider-Man, whose teaser trailer featured a
mini-movie plot of bank robbers escaping in a helicopter, getting caught from behind and
propelled backward into what at first appears to be a net, then is shown to be a gigantic
spider web spun between the two towers at the World Trade Center. After the 9/11
attacks, the trailer and associated teaser poster (where the two towers appear as a
reflection in Spider-Man's eyepieces) were pulled from distribution in theaters and have
never been released on DVD. Many teaser trailers are similar to TV spots, except that
they appear in movie theatres.
 WHAT IS PROMOS

Promos are a TV channel’s most cost-effective way of reaching its audience.

But promos do much more than just inform and motivate.

The audience perceives them to be "the voice of your channel". Therefore, the style and
content of your promos is a key factor in how your viewers form their perception of your
channel’s identity and brand values.

An in-house promo department represents a massive investment on the part of a TV

business; and with channel performance becoming more critical, promos are therefore
required to return dividends more than ever before.

This would be okay, except for the fact that training for promo producers is pretty much
non-existent.

Getting the team up-to-speed on the basics is hard enough; but many Creative Directors
find they just don't have the time or the resources to take producers to the next level.

And that’s were I can help.

most promo departments fail to understand that effective persuasive communication is a

combination of both strategic thought and inventive execution.

Making a promo look slick and polished is one thing. Making a promo effective is
something else entirely.