tech_genie
Member
- Joined
- 20 Sep 2012
- Messages
- 879
- Reaction score
- 697
Digitisation is the way forward on hate channels problem
The Union government has done well to put on notice 24 foreign channels for beaming anti-India programmes in the areas bordering Pakistan and also the north-eastern borders.
The incendiary content that such channels have been illegally downlinking for Indian viewers has been common knowledge for some time, but unfortunately no long-term solution has been found for the problem.
One need only consider the recent cases of inflammatory content on such channels causing unrest to know about their potential for mischief.
One such channel, Iran TV, was behind violence in Jammu and Kashmir in 2010 after it relayed unverified reports about the desecration of the Holy Quran.
The case of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims is too recent to bear repetition.
But it was the exodus of people from North-East from Bangalore and other cities after the riots in Assam that really highlighted the criminal uses to which the electronic media can be put.
With most such channels being broadcast by cable operators, the government is right in moving to make the penal provisions in the Cable TV Act stiffer but this is unlikely to extirpate the problem since it is practically impossible to keep tabs on the huge number of cable operators in India.
Truth to tell, as the government has realised to its chagrin, it is not possible to root out the problem under the present regime.
The way forward is in speeding up the digitisation process, since this would make it possible to track what is shown by any operator.
Unfortunately, it will take another two years for the roll-out of digitisation services to be complete if things go according to schedule.
Read more: MAIL TODAY COMMENT: Digitisation is the way forward on hate channels problem | Mail Online
The Union government has done well to put on notice 24 foreign channels for beaming anti-India programmes in the areas bordering Pakistan and also the north-eastern borders.
The incendiary content that such channels have been illegally downlinking for Indian viewers has been common knowledge for some time, but unfortunately no long-term solution has been found for the problem.
One need only consider the recent cases of inflammatory content on such channels causing unrest to know about their potential for mischief.
One such channel, Iran TV, was behind violence in Jammu and Kashmir in 2010 after it relayed unverified reports about the desecration of the Holy Quran.
The case of the anti-Islam film Innocence of Muslims is too recent to bear repetition.
But it was the exodus of people from North-East from Bangalore and other cities after the riots in Assam that really highlighted the criminal uses to which the electronic media can be put.
With most such channels being broadcast by cable operators, the government is right in moving to make the penal provisions in the Cable TV Act stiffer but this is unlikely to extirpate the problem since it is practically impossible to keep tabs on the huge number of cable operators in India.
Truth to tell, as the government has realised to its chagrin, it is not possible to root out the problem under the present regime.
The way forward is in speeding up the digitisation process, since this would make it possible to track what is shown by any operator.
Unfortunately, it will take another two years for the roll-out of digitisation services to be complete if things go according to schedule.
Read more: MAIL TODAY COMMENT: Digitisation is the way forward on hate channels problem | Mail Online
