To rein in fraudulent advertisers, govt plans inter-ministerial panel

The NDA government has trained its guns on fraudulent advertisers, including sponsors of paid-for-content, on broadcast networks. It has, however, taken a circuitous route to rein in the offenders. Instead of rubbing the channels the wrong way and to avoid hullabaloo about freedom of expression, the government has roped in advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to do its bidding.

According to sources, the government is contemplating setting up an inter-ministerial committee that will work closely with the ASCI to keep a tab on mischievous ads and take stricter action against offenders beyond ASCI’s current practice of getting them off air. The ASCI is not amused by the government’s increasing interest in how it runs its business. It has, however, initiated efforts to “strengthen” its code and ensure better compliance with it as well as the advertising code prescribed in the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act. “The effort is to keep the government off our turf. To be sure, there are hordes of misleading ads on air but the government has no business defining good and bad for us. Self-regulation is the best course for the the industry,” said an ad industry veteran and a member of ASCI on the condition of anonymity.

In the past two months, the I&B ministry issued several advisories against ads and paid-for programmes that encourage “superstition” and “blind belief” as well as products and services that claim to have miraculous health benefits. One such advisory issued by the ministry said: “…It has been noticed by the ministry that most advertorials relating to Astrology, Vastu, so-called discourses by gurus and self-proclaimed healers are being shown for hours together in such a way that might lead viewers to believe they are watching programme even though they are actually watching advertisements. It is a complete violation of the Advertising Code…”

The ASCI is putting up a brave front to ward off direct government intervention yet it has internally set off an exercise to take quick action against offenders. Besides I&B, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Human Resources and Road Transport and Highways are learnt to have flagged off the issue of fraudulent advertising, said sources adding that the government is also keen on reining in deceitful advertising in healthcare and wellness, real estate and education sectors.