NEW DELHI: Following Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) minister Ambika Soni’s presentation of 17 advertisements of 2011-12 as ‘under consideration’ by the Ministry on surrogate and ‘misleading’ advertisements to Parliament last week, the decision of the government may have a significant impact on the music and entertainment industry.
The advertisements ‘under consideration’ in 2011 are for products like Bagpiper Club Soda, Bacadardi Together Music CD, Imperial Blue Music CDs, McDowell No. 1 Platinum Soda, Royal Stag (five different versions), Imperial Blue (two versions), Royal Challenge, Kingfisher Premium, Blender’s Pride, Howard 5000 (two versions), Kingfisher Beer and VB Best Cold Beer.
While no complaints were received during 2009, action was taken on all seven complaints during 2010. A total of 37 cases of surrogate and misleading advertisements were registered in the last two years.
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In 2012, the complaints are for most of the above-mentioned brands, in addition to Carlsberg Beer, Seagram’s Imperial Blue Superhits music CDs, Signature, Tuborg, 100 Pipers Music CDs, Seagram’s Royal Stag Mega Cricket, McDowell Century Soda, Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking water, Signature Natural Mineral Water, ICE Music CDs, Teacher’s Music CDs, Signature Parties (sponsored by Karbonn Mobiles), Seagram’s Royal Stag Mega Music and Seagram’s Natural Mineral Water.
A total of 43 cases of misleading or surrogate advertisements were received by the Ministry during 2011 and 2012, many of them for the same product telecast in different channels.
In most other cases, the matter was referred to the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the Indian Broadcasting Foundation or the News Broadcasters Association and these self-regulatory bodies advised the TV channels not to carry the advertisements.
Soni said complaints also came for 18 advertisements in the print media between 2009-10 and 2011-12, including three this year which were under process with the Press Council of India.
Earlier this year, MoS CM Jatua had said the Department of Consumer Affairs is holding a series of consultations and workshops with all stakeholders in different parts of the country to create awareness about this issue.
The Press Council Act and the Journalistic Norms drawn up by the Council and the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act apart from the Advertising Standards Council of India also had powers to deal with such complaints.
The entertainment industry worth around Rs 646 billion (2010) and growing at 10 per cent annually, depends heavily on advertisement and sponsorship from the corporate sector- many with products which may not be allowed to advertise in the available media directly.
