Indian Government Bans AXN Channel

NEW DELHI, January 18: The Indian government has banned the Sony
Pictures Television International channel AXN from local airwaves for a period
of two months over supposedly lewd content.

"It has been decided
to prohibit transmission or retransmission of the channel up to March 15, with
immediate effect," P. R. Dasmunsi, the Information and Broadcasting
Minister, told the local press yesterday.

According to reports,
Dasmunsi objected to AXN’s broadcast of The World's Sexiest Advertisements, which he referred to as “indecent content"
that was "against good taste or decency and is likely to adversely affect
public morality."

Kunal Dasgupta, the head
of Sony Entertainment Television India, told the Hindustan Times that the ban was “unfair” but noted that the
channel would comply with the order and take itself off the air in India. This
is the first time a mainstream channel has been yanked from local airwaves in
this conservative market.