On being contacted, Mr Soumitro Mukherji, Chief Marketing Officer, B4U Multimedia International Ltd, admitted that liquor advertisements are being beamed on the channel. He said: ``We are showing these advertisements in a very limited manner, that too after 10 p.m.'' Mr Mukherji added that the government guidelines on advertising ``lack clarity''. ``The feeling is that the amended Act is directed more towards cable operators and not any channel,'' he said.

The amended Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995, which was announced on August 11, clearly stated: ``There is a total ban on the telecast of direct or indirect alcohol and tobacco advertisements in the country.'' Mr Arun Jaitley, who was the Information & Broadcasting Minister at that time, had sent letters to all TV channels directing them to take off all liquor and tobacco advertisements by October 5. Although the amended Act was announced on August 11, TV channels were given time till October 5 to take off liquor and tobacco advertisements, so that the channels could honour their prior commitments to the advertisers.

While B4U is uplinked from London, the advertising rules are applicable to it as any other channel uplinked from India. In fact, the amended Act said: ``The programme and advertising codes applicable to Indian channels will also be applicable to free-to-air foreign channels.'' B4U, however, appears to be willing to toe the line-eventually. A senior sales official of the channel said: ``We are only honouring the old contracts and not booking any fresh liquor advertisements.'' But there's evidence that the channel booked liquor advertisements much beyond the deadline of October 5 for pulling off all offending advertisements.

Ms Mohita Arora, Marketing Controller of UDV, confirmed that her company had booked fresh liquor advertisements with B4U even after a ban on such ads. She said: ``We are advertising on this channel because B4U is the only channel that continues to accept liquor advertisements despite the ban.'' She said: ``We need visibility and if a channel is open to accepting advertisements, we will definitely advertise.'' B4U, according to market sources, continues to tempt liquor companies with attractive advertising packages. ``It has been trying to tap liquor majors like Shaw Wallace, UB group companies, Seagrams, Radico Khaitan and Whyte and Mackay.

The channel has almost clinched a deal with Radico Khaitan and Whyte And Mackay,'' sources said. The official spokesperson of Radico Khaitan and Whyte and Mackay confirmed that they too have been approached by B4U. She said: ``Right now we are working out the details with B4U. We do not want to flout the law, but if the channel is accepting liquor advertising we are definitely open to it. As long as we do not fall on the wrong side of the law, we will advertise.'' The cable operators' forums too are turning a blind eye.

Recently, the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, had given phone numbers of a control room in the Ministry to the cable operators. The purpose behind giving cable operators the numbers was that whenever they spotted anything objectionable on cable TV, they must inform the control room, on conditions of anonymity.