{"id":572,"date":"2006-08-22T11:54:29","date_gmt":"2006-08-22T06:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/?p=572"},"modified":"2006-08-22T11:54:29","modified_gmt":"2006-08-22T06:54:29","slug":"blank-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calamur.org\/gargi\/2006\/08\/22\/blank-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Blank Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night millions of homes in Mumbai had their first conversation in ages. The reason, television channels were blanked out by cable operators. The reason, Cable operators were protesting against police raids following a High Court Order in December<\/a> to restrain<\/p>\n

cable operators and service providers from showing any film with an Adult’s only (A) certificate on television.<\/p>\n

Before we all cry out freedom of expression being gagged or the Goverment\/System\/Judiciary\/Police are out to curtail our freedoms – including the freedom to do business, let’s look at what the high court ruling was about. It was really about a political science teacher from an elite Mumbai college deciding TV channels are showing obscene content, and filing a PIL to prevent them from doing so. The matter was compounded by a tech illiterate judiciary – which instead of instructing TV companies to create time bands & watersheds and put out clear ratings warings and take responsibility for the content that they put out – instructed the Police to penalise cable operators, who are mere carriers of the signals. As i had blogged <\/span><\/a>last year on this, the ruling is bizzare because :<\/p>\n

They have placed the onus on what we get on our Television screens, not on the broadcaster but on the cable operator who brings the feed to our homes. It is incomprehensible because the cable operator has no control over the content of the channel. There is one way that the cable operator can be absolutely sure that he is complying with the ruling – and that is by dropping the channel. This in itself has implications on revenue and profitability for the channels concerned. If the channels go ahead and stop buying films with adult certification – then it is going to impact the film production company. Afterall, in today’s day and change cable and satellite rights form a key part of revenues. Also the ruling does not apply to DTH. Nor does it apply to the friendly neighbourhood DVD\/VCD wallah!<\/p>\n

If this had been a Government ruling, we would have all been screaming blue murder – but, when this is a judicial ruling based on an appeal from a member of the public – what do we do? Whom do we hold accountable for loss in revenue, entertainment and information? The Police – they were doing their job as directed by the High Court. The High Court – they were responding to a member of the public -who obviously had built a good case. The petitioner -she has the right to appeal to the court. The channels – they show what is popular, the Cabel operators – they supply what we want. SoWho? The tyranny of a ‘well meaning individual’ is far worse than tyranny of the state. (as with all fast posts, the crucial phrase left out here is the last – in a democratic society)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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