In Brief
Common Cause filed a writ petition seeking a defined complaint redressal mechanism for violations of the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Rules for television and radio programmes. The Court found that while self-regulatory bodies (BCCC, NBSA, ASCI) and governmental mechanisms (EMMC and Inter-Ministerial Committee) existed, they lacked adequate public awareness. The Court directed the Union of India to publish the existing mechanism and recommended that the Central Government formalize a statutory framework under Section 22 of the Cable Television Networks Act, 1995, specifying complaint procedures, timelines, and authorities, while balancing media freedom under Article 19.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.