The Centre has warned FM radio stations not to play songs or broadcast content that glorifies alcohol, drugs, weaponry, or gangster/gun culture.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued an advisory to FM radio channels, requesting that they strictly adhere to the terms and conditions outlined in the grant of permission agreement (GOPA) and migration grant of permission agreement (MGOPA) and not air any content that violates them.
The advisory stated that “Any violation shall entail such penal action as deemed fit in accordance with the terms and conditions laid down in the GOPA/MGOPA,”
The warning was issued after the ministry discovered that some FM stations were playing songs or broadcasting content glorifying alcohol, drugs, weaponry, gangster and gun culture.
It stated that the Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken judicial notice of how such content affected impressionable children and gave rise to gun culture.
It stated that such content violated the AIR Programme Code and that the Centre had the authority to impose sanctions such as suspension of permission and prohibition of broadcast.