In a notification issued on December 21, the Meghalaya government has, in respect of the Information and Public Relations Department, reconstituted 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.
Recently, the issue of YouTube channels covering news and spreading misinformation was raised in the Assembly but these committees do not appear to cover this particular area.
The State Monitoring Committee will comprise of Commissioner & Secretary/Secretary, Information & Public Relations Department as Chairperson, Commissioner of Police/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/Psychologists/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/Local Committees have been formed, to see that the committee meetings are held regularly. To oversee that the authorised 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/guidance to District Level Committees, to review and accept decisions on the matters referred to District Level Committees. To collate date/information from the District Level Committee and forward it to the Secretary, Ministry of Information & 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/Chairperson, District Superintendent of Police, District Public Relations Officer of concerned District, Station Director or Representative of Doordarshan Kendra, Station Director/Assistant Station Director of All India Radio, Representative of leading NGO (to be nominated by the Deputy Commissioner), Academicians/Psychologists/Sociologists (to be nominated by the Chief Secretary) as Members and Assistant Director of Information & Public Relations/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 authorised 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 widespread 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 unauthorised 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.
