Two channels to go off air for violating cable law

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) prohibited two news channels from transmission for a period ranging from one to three days for violation of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act.

The ministry ordered prohibition of transmission of 'DY 365' TV channel "throughout the territory of India" for a period of three days. The transmission of VTV, a Gujarati channel, has been banned for a day.

The ministry issued separate prohibition orders for the two channels on the recommendation of an inter-ministerial committee. 'DY 365' TV was accused of airing a news item on June 4, 2016, showing a ritual in which a man was seen tossing a newborn baby up and down in air. The video was meant to expose an extremely dangerous superstition prevalent in some parts of Assam where people believe that the ritual will keep the child safe.

The inter-ministerial committee noted that the channel violated rules as the visuals were "extremely disturbing and not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition".

The VTV was charged with airing a video showing children in an orphanage in Gujarat being brutally beaten up in March this year. It came out during the channel's own investigations later that the visuals pertained to an incident at an orphanage in Egypt.