SC cites SSR case, says 'fine against TV channels must be proportionate to profits made from show'

The Chief Justice queried would a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a channel be really effective. He told a counsel, "Your fine must be of proportion to profits you make from that show. We don't want to impose a pre-censorship or post-censorship on media…but the self-regulatory mechanism has to be effective”. -- Reports ETV Bharat's Sumit Saxena.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday said it does not want to impose a pre-censorship or post-censorship on media and the self-regulation of television channels has to be effective, while pointing out that during the Sushant Singh Rajput case, the media went berserk, and suggested that penalties against TV channels must be proportionate to profits.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud indicated that it will strengthen the regulation of TV channels. The bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, observed that unless rules are made stringent, there is no compulsion on tv channels to comply with the same.

The Chief Justice queried would a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a channel be really effective. He told a counsel, "Your fine must be of proportion to profits you make from that show. We don't want to impose a pre-censorship or post-censorship on media…but the self-regulatory mechanism has to be effective”.

In the context of a media frenzy in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, the bench said that everybody went berserk and some TV channels virtually pre-empt the criminal investigation in such cases and the self-regulatory mechanism has to be effective. The bench proposed to strengthen the framework and added that it has seen the up-linking and downlinking guidelines.