The Government red eye on reality shows

The information and broadcasting ministry has decreed that both Bigg Boss and Imagine’s Rakhi ka Insaaf, a reality show anchored by actor Rakhi Sawant, be showed during a late night band between 11 pm and 5 am. The decision will severely erode the profitability of the shows. While the charge against Big Boss is that the participants are “often shown quarrelling in the programme and using abusive language”, the trouble with Rakhi Sawant’s show is that the anchor uses “vulgar and abusive” language. Ms Sawant’s show recently ran into trouble when a man committed suicide, weeks after she called him impotent on the show. 

Prime time advertising rates. For  Colors, that is airing Bigg Boss 4, is learn t to be charging around `1.5 lac per ten seconds and has recently increased it to about `1.75 lac per ten seconds with the entry of international star Pamela Anderson on the show on weekdays. For weekends, which are Salman Khan special, a brand spends about `2.5 lac per ten seconds.