NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on surrogate advertisements, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has directed all television channels to stop showing advertisements of products using brand names or logos which are also used for cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants.

In a directive, the Ministry said the notification of 27 February 2009 cannot be cited as an excuse for airing such advertisements in violation of Rule 7(2)(viii)(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 as the guidelines under the amended Rules have not been finalised. 
 
It has further said that certificates issued by the Central Board of Film Certification under the Ministry’s notification of 9 August 2006 will also not be accepted as these are null and void in view of subsequent amendment of Rule 7(2)(viii) of the Rules.

All channels including news and current affairs channels have been directed to, therefore, immediately withdraw such advertisements.
 
In another notification, the Ministry asked all TV channels to stop violating Rule 7(10) which clearly states that advertisements should be clearly distinguishable from the programme/news broadcast and cannot be carried on the same screen as captions, static or moving alongside the programme.
 
This follows several complaints that channels often carry advertisements in scrolls which get mixed with news and also on the screen which interferes with the programme.