Lok Sabha poll results: Information and Broadcasting Ministry asks entertainment channels not to air election-related news

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) has issued an advisory on Wednesday, restraining broadcasters from telecasting news programmes related to election results on their entertainment channels. A day ahead of the Lok Sabha poll results, the Information and Broadcasting ministry has clearly directed that an entertainment channel doesn’t have the rights to air any news or current affairs-based programme. Citing the policy guidelines for ‘Uplinking of Television Channels from India, 2011’, the ministry in its statement mentioned, “The news channels are mandated to carry news and current affairs content, while non-news and current affairs channels are not mandated to carry any news and current affairs content.” “Also, at the time of applying for a non-news TV channel, the applicant company gives an undertaking that the proposed channel is purely an entertainment channel and does not have any news or current affairs based programme,” the statement mentioned. The ministry has advised all the TV channels to strictly abide by the rule and ensure that no violation takes place. The Information and Broadcasting ministry gives permission for uplinking of TV channels under two categories: non-news and current affairs, and news and current affairs.