Rapid TV News

Indian regulator calls for dilution of female, child abuse content on TV

Rebecca Hawkes ©RapidTVNews | 19-02-2012

Scenes portraying the assault and abuse of women and children must be tempered by Indian broadcasters following an edict from India's Broadcast Content Complaints Council (BCCC).

"We have marked a 'lakshman rekha' (line of tolerance) for TV channels that have been airing serials portraying atrocities against and mistreatment of women and children. They have been asked to dilute such objectionable scenes," said Justice AP Shah, chairman, BCC.

The BCCC, which was established in June 2011, has the power to initiate suo motu proceedings against channels that broadcast objectionable, sensitive and vulgar TV.

So far, the BCC has received about 400 complaints, and of these about 20 relate to the offensive portrayal of women and children, according to the Hindustan Times.

The BCCC has issued an advisory to the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF). "We have told the channels that some scenes will not be allowed, some will have to be modified, while the slots for some shows will be changed from 'general' viewing hours to 'restricted' viewing hours," said AP Shah.

Restricted (R) viewing hours in India are considered to be from 11pm to 5am.

"We have also asked these TV channels to be suggestive. Depiction of horrific scenes has adverse effects on the impressionable minds of children, particularly girls," he added.

Many Indian TV series now have women's emancipation as their theme, and some have reportedly shown hard-hitting scenes of abuse when trying to convey such behaviour is unacceptable.

The BCCC has met with to the creative sector to underline that it believes women are still suffering, "but such portrayals demeaning women encourage negative stereotypes," AP Shah told the Hindustan Times.