The I&B ministry has proposed shifting the broadcast hour of the telly shows Bigg Boss and Rakhi Ka Insaaf (aired on Colors) from prime time to after 11pm, on grounds of their content being “vulgar, objectionable and adult”. The producers of the shows have appealed at the Bombay High Court and the decision has been deferred till the court’s next hearing tomorrow.

Says Sonia Huria, an official from the channel Colors, “We have filed the petition in the High Court. We can’t say anything on the status of the shows right show. And until the final court verdict, the shows will continue being aired at prime time.”
However Dale Bhagwagar, publicist for Ashmit Patel, (one of the contestants on Bigg Boss 4), questions the government’s viewpoint. “I feel the I&B ministry needs do a ‘reality check’. We are living in the 21st century; the time of the Internet; the time of Twitter and Facebook. Today’s kids and teens watch porn all over the Web, see heroines in bikinis in movies, get to hear obnoxious insinuations in various advertisements on TV everyday. If all this is cleared and passed, either in the name of news or entertainment on prime time, then why have double standards for Bigg Boss or Rakhi Ka Insaaf? Just because the shows have the word ‘reality’ prefixed on them? That’s unfair. Has Bigg Boss shown any nudity? Have the shows failed to bleep out any foul word? Whatever the officials might feel, audiences love drama. Reality shows have mushroomed over the years, and are the top-rated shows on Indian TV,” he adds.
The debate about timing has triggered various questions from couch potatoes. Can rescheduling a show control vulgarity? Can the government dictate Gen Next on what to watch and what not to watch? Will the changed timings make the TRPs take a beating?
Anushreeta Neogy, a media professional says, “It’s a relief that the shows are not banned, but only postponed. But it will affect the TRPs to some extent, as workingwomen and regular schoolgoing adolescents are the ones who’re mostly obsessed with these reality shows. I was a regular viewer of Bigg Boss, but I don’t think I’ll want to stay up till late to watch it. I’d rather wait for recaps during the weekends.”
But Shilpa Arora, who’s hooked to the show, won’t discontinue watching it even if it’s aired late in the night. “The government and channels should make an effort to edit the content instead of altering the time slot which would only make people more inquisitive. People who want to watch these shows will watch it at any given time. A show like Sach ka Saamna was aired at 11pm and still retained its viewership.”
But there are also those who are happy with the proposal. Says Pawan Hora, a mediaperson, “Reality shows should not be an extension of what people do in their day-to-day lives. It’s understandable that it is good gossip material for them but what was shown on Bigg Boss and Rakhi ka Insaaf was a little too much. But I’m happy that these shows made the issue surface, leading to discussions and a decision. This would come as a warning to other TV channels that show stuff that is gross. I’m sure nobody wants to be like any of the contestants on Bigg Boss.”