A few days after the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) proposed that all condom advertisements should be aired on television during late in the night only, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on Monday banned the broadcast of condom commercials between 6 am to 10 pm.
Move to regulate airing time of condom ads on TV, thanks to Sunny Leone's steamy ad
The ministry took this decision after the ASCI received several complaints about the steamy condom ads, especially those featuring Bollywood actress Sunny Leone.
Condom ads are indecent for children
The ASCI had proposed that the ads are meant for adults and are inappropriate for children.
"We suggest that the ministry advise all television channels to ensure that the condom advertisements are aired during the watershed hours – between 10 pm and 6 am – as these advertisements are meant to be seen only by adults," the ASCI suggested in a letter to the ministry, according to The Asian Age.
The ministry accepted the recommendations of the ASCI and restricted the airing of commercials selling and promoting condoms by branding them as "indecent especially for children" and triggering "unhealthy practices" among them.
"It has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that some channels carry advertisements of condoms repeatedly which are alleged to be indecent especially for children," an advisory from the ministry said.
The advisory cited Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, according to which "advertisement which endangers the safety of children or create in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner" to justify the ban.
"In view of the above, all TV channels are hereby advised not to telecast the advertisements of condoms which are for a particular age group and could be indecent/inappropriate for viewing by children. Indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment shall be avoided in all advertisements. It said such advertisements may be telecast between 10pm and 6am to avoid exposure of such material to children," said the advisory
The government also added that failure to abide by the rules will attract action as per provisions of the act.
Condom companies condemn ban
The government brought in the restrictions on airing the ads after complaints raised over the advertisement of Manforce condom featuring Sunny Leone. The other condom producers are evidently dismayed by the blanket ban on the ads during the whole day and in the evenings, including the prime time, on TV.
"Raymond Group, which owns the KamaSutra brand of condoms, has criticised the ban and said that "not all condom advertising is indecent".
We follow the ASCI's code on advertising and subject ourselves to deep internal scrutiny," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Economic Times.
"Indecent advertising whether from condom category or otherwise should be subjected to greater self-regulation," the Raymond spokesperson added.
