MCMC committee approval is now required for political advertisements on cable and cinema in Gurugram.

District Commissioner and District Election Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav on Tuesday announced that political advertisements cannot be aired on cable TV and cinema halls within Gurugram district without the prior approval of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC). This announcement was made following the instructions of the Election Commission of India. Yadav added that the rule also extends to political advertisements published in newspapers, which require MCMC certification before publication.

In the meeting, DC Yadav said that a district-level MCMC committee has been constituted to prepare for the upcoming assembly elections, which will ensure compliance with the Cable TV Network Regulation Act and other rules of the Election Commission. He further said that strict action will be taken against those who violate these rules.

Yadav also noted that all advertisements on cable channels and other platforms will be closely monitored by the MCMC, with special scrutiny on political advertisements. “Cable operators and cinema hall owners are prohibited from airing any advertisement without MCMC certificate during the election period,” the DC said.

According to Yadav, the guidelines mandate that cable operators and cinema hall owners must obtain an MCMC certificate before telecasting any political advertisement during the election period. Violation of these rules will result in immediate legal consequences. The certification issued by the MCMC shall bear the signature and seal of the competent authority, and only those advertisements shall be broadcast which are recorded on the certified CDs.

To get approval, candidates have to submit an application using Annexure-A, after which MCMC will issue a certification in Annexure-B format. This process requires two copies of the advertisement on CD and two copies of the promotional material script. Applications should be submitted at least three days before the intended broadcast. If MCMC finds any problem in the advertisement, the candidate will have 24 hours to correct it and resubmit it.

Apart from broadcast advertisements, Yadav mentioned that newspaper advertisements will also need MCMC certification as part of efforts to accurately record election expenditure. The committee will focus on prevention of paid news during elections.