After OTT, MIB turns to TV with mandatory style anti-drug messaging push

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has asked private satellite television channels to display a prominent disclaimer on the harmful effects of drug abuse during programmes, marking a significant expansion of the government's anti-drug messaging from digital platforms to linear television.

In an advisory issued on August 20, the ministry has directed private satellite TV channels to display the message: “Illicit Narcotics Destroy Health and Guarantees Imprisonment. Say No to Drugs”. The disclaimer is to be displayed clearly, legibly and prominently, with the ministry asking broadcasters to ensure that it remains visible for sufficient time to effectively communicate the message.

The advisory is significant because it is specifically addressed to private satellite television channels and covers programming beyond news. The ministry has said the disclaimer may be displayed at appropriate intervals during the telecast of all programmes, including general entertainment and non-news programmes.

While MIB has previously issued advisories concerning the depiction and portrayal of narcotic drugs on OTT platforms, the August 20 directive is a distinct move aimed at linear television broadcasters. 

From OTT content regulation to television messaging

The move follows MIB's continuing focus on how media content depicts narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

In November 2024, the ministry had issued an advisory to OTT platforms after observing that certain streaming content was inadvertently promoting, glamorising or glorifying the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. That advisory asked OTT platforms to exercise due diligence in content review and avoid portraying drug consumption as fashionable or socially acceptable.

The 2024 advisory also asked OTT platforms to consider incorporating public-health messages and disclaimers educating viewers about the dangers of drug abuse, particularly where drug use forms part of a storyline.

The latest television advisory takes the public-health messaging component a step further by putting the focus directly on private satellite television channels and asking them to carry a prescribed anti-drug message during programming.

This makes the August 20 advisory a first-of-its-kind TV-specific directive in the ministry's recent anti-drug messaging push, rather than the first time MIB has addressed the issue of narcotics through media regulation.

General entertainment comes under the lens

One of the notable aspects of the advisory is its application beyond news programming.

MIB has specifically referred to general entertainment and non-news programmes, bringing a wide range of television content within the scope of the public-awareness initiative. This could include programming where drug abuse is not necessarily the central theme but where the ministry believes periodic public-health messaging can contribute to awareness.

The prescribed disclaimer is intended to serve as a direct warning to viewers about the consequences of illicit narcotics.

The ministry's approach also reflects the continuing importance of television as a mass medium, particularly for audiences that may not consume OTT or digital content regularly.

Focus on youth and public health

The government's broader concern around narcotics has increasingly focused on the potential impact of media portrayal and messaging on young audiences.

In its November 2024 OTT advisory, MIB said portrayals of narcotic drug use could have serious repercussions, particularly because of their potential influence on young and impressionable viewers.

The ministry's OTT advisory referred to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the provisions governing content classification. It also pointed to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, noting that promotion or glamorisation of narcotic substances through content could have regulatory and legal implications.

The television advisory, however, is less about regulating the depiction of drugs within a particular programme and more about putting an affirmative public-health warning in front of television audiences.

Broadcasters expected to ensure prominence

The ministry has placed emphasis on the manner in which the message is presented.

Rather than simply asking broadcasters to carry a warning, the advisory requires the disclaimer to be clear, legible and prominent. It also calls for the message to remain on screen for a sufficient period to ensure effective visibility and communication.

For broadcasters, this means programming and compliance teams will need to factor the disclaimer into transmission schedules and ensure that its presentation meets the ministry's expectations.

A broader media-regulation approach

The anti-drug directive also fits into a broader evolution in the government's approach to media regulation.

Rather than relying solely on prohibitions or restrictions on content, MIB is increasingly using advisories to push broadcasters and digital platforms towards responsible representation and public-interest messaging.

The November 2024 OTT advisory, for instance, asked platforms to consider public-health messages and disclaimers in programmes depicting drug use and encouraged the creation and promotion of content highlighting the adverse health impact of drug abuse.

The latest directive now brings private television channels into that messaging framework.

For the television industry, the immediate impact is operational: channels will need to identify appropriate points during their programming to carry the prescribed message and ensure that the disclaimer is sufficiently visible to viewers.

For MIB, however, the move represents a broader attempt to use the reach of mass media to reinforce the government's campaign against narcotic drug abuse.

Not the first MIB anti-drug advisory, but a new television-specific push

The distinction is important. The August 20 advisory should not be described as MIB's first-ever advisory on narcotics. The ministry had already issued its November 2024 advisory to OTT platforms specifically addressing the portrayal of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

What is new is the direct extension of an anti-drug disclaimer requirement to private satellite television channels and general programming.

In effect, the government is moving from asking digital content platforms to exercise caution in how drug use is portrayed to asking the country's private television broadcasters to actively place an anti-drug message before viewers.

The August 20 advisory therefore signals another step in MIB's evolving approach to responsible media consumption, with television now being used more explicitly as a vehicle for public-health messaging on drug abuse.