"Ad industry needs to evolve a code of what is decent and what is not": Javadekar

The minister of information & broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar has condemned ads like the ones from deodorant brands (where women are attracted to a man because he has used a deo). At a conference in New Delhi, yesterday, Javadekar said that despite the ad regulations, indecent ads are made and aired on television.

The minister was at the "CEOs Roundtable on Media & Entertainment" organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He said that the Government has always promoted the M&E fraternity as partners in growth and would remain a facilitator in the interests of the people.

Javadekar also promised a stable policy regime with transparency and time-bound mechanism. He said that efforts would be streamlined to make the process of clearances speedy and transparent. Reacting to suggestions from stakeholders, Javadekar said that the policies of this Government would be people-centric and aim at meeting the aspirations of the common citizens. He further added that providing information, entertainment and knowledge to the citizens would be the priority of the ministry.

The minister also emphasised the need for expanding the reach of community radio and aimed at the opening up of 1,000 community radio stations in the near future. "You talk about setting up 1,000 private FM radio stations, but the government will also encourage the expansion of community radio network," he said.

On radio, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said, "We will make sure that the migration from Phase II to Phase III is smooth. Phase III has made substantial headway. We have come to the stage where the auction process is on. The e-auction is going to be completed by June 20. We will then go ahead with the further process so that we are able to complete it by December-January 2015."

Julka added that the licences of some of the operators expire in March 2015 and that the MIB will take necessary actions for renewal before that. Referring to prime minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'speed, skill and scale, Javadekar urged the media industry to strive to attain new heights. He praised the new-age technology and described how social media platforms had changed the dimension of news reporting.

On digitisation, Javadekar has asked for a trade-off from the DTH operators. He said that currently, only four crore set-top-boxes are installed and it is just 25 per cent of the universe. "With the increase in subscriber base, the revenue of the operators will increase. But what will the consumers get in return? I am asking for a trade-off. Will you reduce the subscription? Things cannot be one-sided. Why should I (read the consumer) pay and see lots of ads also? How can both the things happen at the same time? You offer me what you want to give," he added.

As reported by afaqs! earlier, Javadekar wants to look at the opportunities of manufacturing the STBs locally. "I have asked the secretary to bring some people who are ready with some plans. We want to give this a try but it doesn't mean there will be any delay in the roll-out of phase III and IV of digitisation."

Javadekar also proclaimed that he wants to make Doordarshan (DD) the people's choice. "I have asked DD to live in the competitive environment. At the same time, we have told cable operators that we'll listen to them only after we are assured that they are carrying DD on their platform." While recognising the importance of the freedom of speech and expression, he emphasised the need for responsible journalism.