Depictions of domestic abuse, children dancing to obscene songs and a foreign driver hurling abuses against Indians. These are among the 1,443 television moments that riled up viewers so much, they complained about them to the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council in the year's second quarter.
Some broadcasters were penalised for violating the council's standards. For instance, Big RTL Thrill was fined Rs 7.5 lakh participants in a game show titled Distraction talking about sex and nudity for four episodes. Fear Factor, broadcast by AXN, on the other hand, was taken off the air because of a complaint against contestants eating cockroaches was ruled to be objectionable.
The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council is a self-regulatory body set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation that looks into content-related complaints.
Here are five matters brought to its attention.
1) Villainous children
Channel: Zee TV
Show: Doli Armaano Ki
Episode date: May 6
Complaint: “A child complains to his father that he has been hit by his mother. But in fact, she has not hit him. Without enquiring, the father asks the child to hit back the mother. Such content is not acceptable. It can impact children’s mind. The child character portrayed in the programme is very negative and villainous. It is really disturbing to see children behaving in such manner as they will learn wrong practices.”
Action taken: “The message that the channel intended to convey was that children tend to pick up the wrongs and parents, despite differences, must act with maturity,” the council said, but it also the channel to be more sensitive with content that has wider ramifications. It took no action against the TV channel.
2) Geographic inaccuracies
Channel: Sony
Show: KBC promo
Complaint: “I am writing this mail to complaint against a promo being run by the KBC in which a question has been asked whether Kohima is in Nepal, China or India. As you are aware, this is likely to have serious repercussions and snowball into a major controversy. While the intention of the broadcaster might be noble, the question itself is objectionable and must be taken out of air immediately.”
Action taken: The council said that the promo was neither disruptive, controversial nor embarrassing to the government and that the North East was “reflected in a positive manner". The complaint was disposed of.
3) Exploiting children
Channel: Mahua
Show: Nehle Pe Dehla
Episode date: May 30
Complaint: "Children sang songs with vulgar lyrics. How can we allow 14-15 years old children to sing 'raat bhar nirahua satal rahe'?"
Action taken: The council sent its advisory on sexualisation of children to the channel.
4) Incorrect map
Channel: TLC
Show: Indian Food Made Easy
Episode date: June 4
Complaint: "A wrong map of India, showing Arabian Sea where they should have shown Bay of Bengal. It is a wrong representation of map of India."
Action taken: “The Council has already issued an advisory in this regard,” it said in its reply.
5) Child dances to vulgar song
Channel: Star Plus
Show: Yeh Hai Mohabbatein
Episode date: April 21
Complaint: “A child character Ruhi danced on the song ‘Sexy Radha.’ The word ‘sexy’ is vulgar. Children can use these words in their conversations. The whole gathering was shown clapping on the performance.”
Action taken: The council found nothing wrong in the content.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
Some broadcasters were penalised for violating the council's standards. For instance, Big RTL Thrill was fined Rs 7.5 lakh participants in a game show titled Distraction talking about sex and nudity for four episodes. Fear Factor, broadcast by AXN, on the other hand, was taken off the air because of a complaint against contestants eating cockroaches was ruled to be objectionable.
The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council is a self-regulatory body set up by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation that looks into content-related complaints.
Here are five matters brought to its attention.
1) Villainous children
Channel: Zee TV
Show: Doli Armaano Ki
Episode date: May 6
Complaint: “A child complains to his father that he has been hit by his mother. But in fact, she has not hit him. Without enquiring, the father asks the child to hit back the mother. Such content is not acceptable. It can impact children’s mind. The child character portrayed in the programme is very negative and villainous. It is really disturbing to see children behaving in such manner as they will learn wrong practices.”
Action taken: “The message that the channel intended to convey was that children tend to pick up the wrongs and parents, despite differences, must act with maturity,” the council said, but it also the channel to be more sensitive with content that has wider ramifications. It took no action against the TV channel.
2) Geographic inaccuracies
Channel: Sony
Show: KBC promo
Complaint: “I am writing this mail to complaint against a promo being run by the KBC in which a question has been asked whether Kohima is in Nepal, China or India. As you are aware, this is likely to have serious repercussions and snowball into a major controversy. While the intention of the broadcaster might be noble, the question itself is objectionable and must be taken out of air immediately.”
Action taken: The council said that the promo was neither disruptive, controversial nor embarrassing to the government and that the North East was “reflected in a positive manner". The complaint was disposed of.
3) Exploiting children
Channel: Mahua
Show: Nehle Pe Dehla
Episode date: May 30
Complaint: "Children sang songs with vulgar lyrics. How can we allow 14-15 years old children to sing 'raat bhar nirahua satal rahe'?"
Action taken: The council sent its advisory on sexualisation of children to the channel.
4) Incorrect map
Channel: TLC
Show: Indian Food Made Easy
Episode date: June 4
Complaint: "A wrong map of India, showing Arabian Sea where they should have shown Bay of Bengal. It is a wrong representation of map of India."
Action taken: “The Council has already issued an advisory in this regard,” it said in its reply.
5) Child dances to vulgar song
Channel: Star Plus
Show: Yeh Hai Mohabbatein
Episode date: April 21
Complaint: “A child character Ruhi danced on the song ‘Sexy Radha.’ The word ‘sexy’ is vulgar. Children can use these words in their conversations. The whole gathering was shown clapping on the performance.”
Action taken: The council found nothing wrong in the content.