LS passes cable networks bill

NEW DELHI, AUG. 11. The Lok Sabha today passed a bill to impose the advertisement and programme codes on all television channels and make it mandatory for cable operators to show at least three Doordarshan channels even as the Government conceded that it was a piecemeal legislation.

Replying to a discussion on the Cable Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley, said the Government wanted to bring uniformity in operations of cable TV networks and to avoid ``undesirable'' programmes being made available to viewers.

Admitting that it was a piecemeal legislation, he added that a Group of Ministers, headed by the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, was working on a convergence bill on information technology, communication and information and broadcasting.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Information bill referred to parliamentary panel
Next     : MRTPC probe against Microsoft