NBF Professional News Broadcasting Authority (Self-regulatory)

News Broadcasters Federation operates an independent self-regulatory body upholding the principles of journalism and freedom of speech and expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of India, called the NBF Professional News Broadcasting Standards Authority. (NBF-PNBSA)

NBF-PNBSA is the only officially-registered and formally recognised Level-II Self-Regulatory for TV News Channels as per (Level-II Self-Regulatory as per Rule 18 of the CTN (Amendment Rules 2021); and Digital News Platforms as per Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

NBF-PNBSA panel-led by the Chairperson, a retired Supreme Court Judge, and members (editorial and independent) of the NBF-PNBSO will review and adjudicate on appeals if a complaint to the broadcaster is left unresolved.

Values

Independent: NBF- PNBSA will carry out its work free from control or interference by the press, parliament, interest groups, or individuals
Bold: NBF- PNBSA will act without fear or favour
Fair: NBF- PNBSA will take decisions according to its rules based on the evidence it has gathered and its actions and sanctions will be proportionate
Accessible: NBF- PNBSA will make it as easy as possible to access its services and to engage with it
Transparent: NBF- PNBSA’s work will be in the public domain, ensuring its actions and processes are clear and visible while fulfilling any duty of confidentiality.

Vision

A trusted, thriving, free and responsible press, reinforced by independent, effective regulation.

Mission

To support those who feel wronged by the press.
To uphold the highest professional standards in the broadcast
To determine whether standards have been breached and provide redress if so.

The NBF-PNBSA consists of Seven (7) members:

Role of NBF-PNBSA Panel

The panel shall perform the following functions; .

(i) oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence by the broadcaster to the Programme Code and the Advertising Code for television channels; and Code of Ethics and Procedure and Safeguards in Relation to Digital Media. The Codes may be read with the Norms of Journalistic Conduct as notified by the Press Council of India.

(ii) provide guidance to the broadcaster on various aspects of the Programme Code and the Advertising Code;

(iii) dispose of grievances which have not been disposed of by the broadcaster within the specified period of fifteen days;

(iv) hear appeals filed by the complainant against the decision of the broadcaster;
issue such guidance or advisories to a broadcaster, including those specified in sub-rule (5), for ensuring compliance to the Programme Code and the Advertising Code, for television channels; and Code of Ethics and Procedure and Safeguards in Relation to Digital Media..

(1) Chairperson – a retired judge of the Supreme Court or of a High Court;

(2) Co-Chairs – 2 (Two) members being independent eminent persons from the field of media, broadcasting, entertainment, child rights, human rights or such other relevant fields, and shall have other members;

(3) Editorial Committee Members – 3 (Three) members from among the nominated editors of NBF member channels/ digital portals.

The NBF-PNBSA will meet every three months to review any complaints filed against member companies.

Broad Framework On Editorial Guidelines

NBF Members and signatory to NBF-PNBSA abide by the broad framework of editorial guidelines as per Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 (Rule 6 and Rule 7)

Rule- 6. Programme Code:

No programme should be carried in the cable service which:-

Denigrates children

Contains criticism of friendly countries;

Contains anything amounting to contempt of court

Contains anything affecting the integrity of the Nation

Offends against good taste or decency;

Contravenes the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952

Is not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition

Encourages superstition or blind belief

Contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary

Contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths

Contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which promote communal attitudes

Is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes

Criticises, maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country

Contains visuals or words which reflect a slandering, ironical and snobbish attitude in the portrayal of certain ethnic, linguistic and regional groups

Denigrates women through the depiction in any manner of the figure of a women, her form or body or any part thereof in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to women, or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals

“Provided that no film or film song or film promo or film trailer or music video or music albums or their promos, whether produced in India or abroad, shall be carried through cable service unless it has been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) as suitable for unrestricted public exhibition in India”.

Explanation:

For the purpose of this clause, the expression “unrestricted public exhibition” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Cinematograph Act, 1952 (37 of 1952);

The cable operator should strive to carry programmes in his cable service which project women in a positive, leadership role of sobriety, moral and character building qualities.

Care should be taken to ensure that programmes meant for children do not contain any bad language or explicit scenes of violence.

No cable operator shall carry or include in his cable service any programme in respect of which copyright subsists under the Copyright Act, 1957 (14 of 1957) unless he has been granted a licence by owners of copyright under the Act in respect of such programme.

Programmes unsuitable for children must not be carried in the cable service at times when the largest numbers of children are viewing.

“Provided that a cable operator may continue to carry or include in his cable service any Television broadcast or channel, whose application for registration to the Central Government was made on or before 11th May ,2006 and is under consideration, for a period of three months from the date of this notification, or till such registration has been granted or refused, whichever is earlier.”

“Provided further that channels uplinking from India, in accordance with permission for uplinking granted before 2nd December, 2005, shall be treated as “registered” television channels and can be carried or included in the cable service.”

Rule-7. Advertising Code:

Advertising carried in the cable service shall be so designed as to conform to the laws of the country and should not offend morality, decency and religious susceptibilities of the subscribers.

No advertisement shall be permitted which-

Derides any race, caste, colour, creed and nationality

Is against any provision of the Constitution of India

Presents criminality as desirable

Exploits social evils like dowry, child marriage.

Tends to incite people to crime, cause disorder or violence or breach of law or glorifies violence or obscenity in any way

Exploits the national emblem, or any part of the Constitution or the person or personality of a national leader or a State dignitary

In its depiction of women violates the constitutional guarantees to all citizens. In particular, no advertisement shall be permitted which projects a derogatory image of women.

Women must not be portrayed in a manner that emphasises passive, submissive qualities and encourages them to play a subordinate, secondary role in the family and society.

The cable operator shall ensure that the portrayal of the female form, in the programmes carried in his cable service, is tasteful and aesthetic, and is within the well established norms of good taste and decency;

Promotes directly or indirectly production, sale or consumption of:-

(A) Cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants;

Provided that a product that uses a brand name or logo, which is also used for cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants, may be advertised on cable service subject to the following conditions that:-

The advertisement must not use situations typical for promotion of prohibited products when advertising the other products

The advertisement must not make any direct or indirect reference to the prohibited products

The advertisement must not contain any nuances or phrases promoting prohibited products

The advertisement must not use particular colours and layout or presentations associated with prohibited products

The story board or visual of the advertisement must depict only the product being advertised and not the prohibited products in any form or manner

Provided further that:

The advertiser shall submit an application with a copy of the proposed advertisement along with a certificate by a registered Chartered Accountant that the product carrying the same name as cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants is distributed in reasonable quantity and is available in substantial number of outlets where other products of the same category are available and the proposed expenditure on such advertising thereon shall not be disproportionate to the actual sales turnover of the product.
All such advertisements found to be genuine brand extensions by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shall be previewed and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification as suitable for unrestricted public exhibition and are in accordance with the provisions contained in sub-clause (i) to (v) of the first proviso, prior to their telecast or transmission or retransmission

(B) Infant milk substitutes, feeding bottle or infant food

The goods or services advertised shall not suffer from any defect or deficiency as mentioned in Consumer Protection Act, 1986.

The picture and the audible matter of the advertisement shall not be excessively ‘loud’.

Indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment shall be avoided in all advertisements.

No advertisement shall contain references which are likely to lead the public to infer that the product advertised or any of its ingredients has some special or miraculous or super- natural property or quality, which is difficult of being proved.

No advertisement which endangers the safety of children or creates in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner shall not be carried in the cable service.

No advertisement which violates the Code for self-regulation in advertising, as adopted by the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI), Mumbai, for public exhibition in India, from time to time, shall be carried in the cable service.

All advertisement should be clearly distinguishable from the programme and should not in any manner interfere with the programme viz., use of lower part of screen to carry captions, static or moving alongside the programme.

No programme shall carry advertisements exceeding twelve minutes per hours, which may include up to ten minutes per hour of commercial advertisements, and up to two minutes per hour of the channel’s self-promotional programmes.

NBF-PNBSA Outcomes

In case of any violation, the panel will issue a warning including a channel to run an apology scroll specifying the date and time- an action to be taken complied and reported back to NBF-PNBSA within 7 days of the order.
Any repeat or serious violations would attract a financial penalty up to Rs 10L
A repeat violation by the channel/anchor would be penalized with a warning to run an apology scroll for 2 days with a specific date and time; removing the anchor up to 3 months and/or a financial penalty up to Rs 5L

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Email: nbf@newsbroadcastersfederation.com

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