AXN Banned In India!
AXN
, a mainstream action/adventure reality channel has been banned till March 15th by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in India. The reason quoted by I&B Ministry is that the channel has been broadcasting a program “World’s Sexiest Commercials” which was against good taste and decency and that it was adversely affecting the public morality.
AXN is primarily an action channel with a lot of reality programs along with a few of my personal favourites Guinness World Records, The Amazing Race, WRC and other stuff. The program in question used to be broadcast in the 11 P.M. slot which is not prime time in India. These were creative ads with a little sexual imagery and overtones but they never showed too much skin. Also interestingly the I&B proposed a broadcast bill allowing adult content after 11PM. This move made by the ministry seems to contradict its own views about what should be telecast. On second thought who in the name of hell is the I&B ministry to tell viewers what to watch and what not to. Whatever happened freedom, rights and other such amnesty stuff?
The question here is why has the Government taken such a drastic step for so small an issue. There are numerous other channel which show nude to semi-nude programmes on prime time space. No steps have ever been taken against them let alone banning them from transmission and re-transmission for such a long period. The last time such a step was taken is to ban a Russian pornographic channel from airing in India. Because of one small issue the people are being denied the choice of viewing their favorite programs. Rather it should’ve asked the channel to discontinue airing of the particular program instead of completely banning it. The Amazing Race Asia, yes Asia, is in the final round. 
There seems to be something bigger going on than just the moral policing of the I&B. Just because they can, they should not go about banning every other channel since it was inappropriate for some politicians two year old grandson. As Spiderman says “With Great Power, Come Great Responsibility”.
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