Shillong, March 05, 2024: In a Notification issued on 21st December, 2023, the Government of Meghalaya has in respect of Information and Public Relations Department re-constituted the ‘State Monitoring Committee at the State Level and District Monitoring Committees at the District Level’ to enforce the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995.The Committees are required to perform the role of monitoring the content being shown on TV channels at the local level.
The State Monitoring Committee will comprise of Commissioner and Secretary and Secretary, Information and Public Relations Department as Chairperson, Commissioner of Police and DG of Police or a Representative, Secretary, Social Welfare Department or a Representative, Station Director, Doordarshan Kendra, Shillong, Representative of a leading NGO to be nominated by Chief Secretary and Academicians and Psychologists and Sociologists, one each to be nominated by Chief Secretary as Members and Director of Information & Public Relations as Member Secretary.
The functions of the State Monitoring Committee will be to see that the District nd Local Committees have been formed, to see that the Committee meetings are held regularly. To oversee that the authorized officers are effectively performing their duties, to review cases, if any, on malpractices by Cable Operators and undesirable content being shown at the State and local level by the cable operators and the manner these cases are handled and decisions to be taken thereafter.
To provide suggestion and guidance to District Level Committees, to review and accept decisions on the matters referred to District Level Committees, to collate date and information from the District Level Committee and forward it to the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt of India.
To recommend action and forward complaints against satellite channels (National Channels) to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting through the Chief Secretary of the State in cases of violation of Government of India’s orders on the Programme and Advertising Codes.
The District Monitoring Committee will comprise of Deputy Commissioner of concerned District as Chairman and Chairperson, District Superintendent of Police, District Public Relations Officer of concerned District, Station Director or Representative of Doordarshan Kendra.
Station Director and Assistant Station Director of All India Radio, Representative of leading NGO (to be nominated by the Deputy Commissioner), Academicians and Psychologists and Sociologists to be nominated by the Chief Secretary as Members and Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations and District Public Relations Officer of concerned District as Member Secretary.
The functions of the District Monitoring Committee will be to provide a forum where the public may lodge a complaint regarding content aired over cable television and take action on the same as per procedure prescribed herein, to review the action taken by Authorized Officers for enforcement to Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. To immediately bring to the notice of the State and Central Government if any programme is affecting public order or wide spread resentment in any community.
To keep a watch on content carried by cable television channels at the local level and to ensure through the Authorized Officers that no unauthorized or pirated channels are carried and local news if aired by the cable television operator is restricted to information about local events and is presented in a manner which is balanced impartial and not likely to offend or incite any community and to monitor the availability of free to air channels and channels notified for mandatory carriage on the cable network.
