Is FTV banned? One minister thinks so

Is FTV banned? One minister thinks so
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI/RAIPUR, FEBRUARY 13: While Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj has asked a consultative committee of Parliament to decide on the future Fashion TV in India, her deputy claims the government has already banned the channel.

The committee members are supposed to meet on February 15 to review the contents of the channel.

Minister of State Ramesh Bais told reporters in Raipur today that the decision to ban FTV was taken yesterday in New Delhi. He said the Government will not tolerate anything against the Indian culture, including advertisements of cigarette, tobacco and vulgarity. ``Because of this, an advertisement of Sony TV was banned,'' he said. He added that any programme which is against the Indian culture and tradition will not be allowed to air in the country.

Swaraj has been a vocal critic of the channel. She had asked a panel of senior officials to look into the contents of FTV and had registered her discontent with the French Ambassador to India. She is also likely to meet Michael Richards, director of FTV, shortly.

Even before Swaraj sought the help of the consultative panel, she had asked the Central Monitoring Cell at Aya Nagar, New Delhi, a wing of the I&B Ministry, to monitor the channel. It was based on their recordings that senior officials were asked to review the channel.

While it is learnt that the officials are divided in their opinion about the contents of the channel, they have indicated that a decision on the future of the channel has been left to the Parliament members.