DD Sports Violates Advertising Code Approved By Parliament In Order To Promote Tips On Illegal Betting By Surrogate Websites And App
While many believe that DD Sports would continually reinvent itself to stay up with its opponents from the commercial sector, like other public service broadcasters across the world, India’s Doordarshan appears to still be stuck in the 1990s. Instead of progressing, it has sparked a fresh debate. Rather than moving forward, it has invited a new controversy.
DD Sports Violates Advertising Code By Broadcasting Betting App Ad During IND vs WI ODI Series
India’s public service broadcaster Doordarshan’s sports channel DD Sports is showing ads of a betting company during the West Indies vs India series. There’s no end to this farce. ICYMI 👇🏽#WIvsIND https://t.co/NmGI78Jmar
— Jaideep Vaidya (@jaideepjourno) July 25, 2022
If you’re watching the #WIvsIND series on FanCode or DD Sports, you’ll also see hoardings and ads of Betway, another betting company, on the ground.
The Indian broadcaster can’t do anything about on-ground ads. It can, however, control the broadcast ads. pic.twitter.com/C0e5XnLdSS
— Jaideep Vaidya (@jaideepjourno) July 24, 2022
Hehe. It's 10 pm now. Get ready for condom ads in each over😂. DD is just following govt orders which mandates that such condom ads can only be broadcast after 10 pm on national TV. DD sports #DDSports #IndvsWI #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/cueuhSR85P
— Suhas (@CricSuhas) July 24, 2022
By airing advertisements for betting and gambling on Sunday during the broadcast of the second One-Day International between India and the West Indies, DD Sports, which collaborated with FanCode to broadcast the series on a free-to-air basis, violate the “Code on Commercial Advertising on Doordarshan” that was approved by Parliament.
Since then, DD Sports has received media attention and is a hot topic of conversation. Many people are debating the penalties that DD Sports may face as a result of acting improperly. So, let’s find out more about it:
DD Sports Tie-Up With Fancode
The degree of influence that DD has over the commercials is unclear because FanCode is the original rights holder.
Doordarshan and FanCode partnered earlier this month to showcase the events on DD Sports, a free-to-air sports channel. According to a source on InsideSport, FanCode and Doordarshan split ad money with a ratio of 75:25.
Let me inform you that the parent firm of Dream11, the largest fantasy sports website in India, which is frequently seen openly endorsing betting companies, owns FanCode.
Investigations must be conducted into the full series of circumstances that led to India’s public service broadcaster breaking Indian law. Additionally, it must be determined whether or whether the Prasar Bharati-established “Guidelines for Acquisition of Programs” were followed in the deal with FanCode.
What Does Rule Say About Surrogate Advertising?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is in charge of Doordarshan, a division of Prasar Bharati, India’s public service broadcaster, and it is obligated to adhere to the Commercial Advertising Code, which was adopted by the Parliament.
33 dos and don’ts are included in this advertising code, which was submitted to the Parliament in 1987, for marketers on Doordarshan platforms. The encouragement of gambling on horse races or other games of chance is one of the don’ts.
Therefore, when advertisements for FairPlayNews, a dummy brand for the Curaçao-incorporated betting corporation FairPlay, were broadcast on television, DD Sports not only broke the MIB Advisory issued last month but also the Parliament-approved Advertising Code that applies particularly to Doordarshan.