MediaOne TV applied for broadcast permissions for renewal.
Thiruvananthapuram:
Malayalam television channel MediaOne TV has shut down again after its name was removed from the list of permitted channels by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Sources said the ministry refused permission to renew the channel’s license after “the Union home ministry refused to grant security clearance”. MediaOne TV said it was exploring legal options and has stopped broadcasting for now.
MediaOne TV had applied for broadcast permissions for renewal from September 30, 2021 to September 29, 2031.
Mediaon TV editor Pramod Raman said in a statement that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has banned the broadcast of the channel.
The ministry has said that the ban was imposed due to security reasons, but the channel is yet to receive details on it. The central government has not provided details about the ban to MediaOn TV. We have initiated legal action against the ban. Granted. After completing the process, the channel will be back for viewers. We are temporarily suspending the broadcast with the hope that justice will finally prevail,” the statement read.
Indian Union Muslim League MLA MK Munir tweeted opposing this move of the government. “The decision of the I&B ministry to cancel the license of Media One is arbitrary and highly condemnable. It is intended to silence critical voices. Government of India should lift the ban at the earliest!” Read his post.
The decision of the I&B Ministry to cancel the license of Media One is arbitrary and highly condemnable. This is to silence critical voices. The Indian government should lift the ban as soon as possible!
— Dr. MK Munir (@MKMUNEER) 31 January 2022
In 2020, MediaOne TV was told by the I&B ministry that it had violated provisions of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, during its coverage of violence in Delhi linked to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
The notification was on a Delhi-based correspondent who had claimed that “from 2 pm to 9 pm a terrace was vandalized at the anti-CAA protest site and around five anti-CAA protesters were injured”.
A copy of the broadcast was examined by the ministry, which said it attacked the government for its “cold-shoulder approach towards anti-CAA protesters” and failed to register an FIR against the “inflammatory speech” by an unidentified BJP leader. Criticized Delhi Police for staying. Jaffrabad is one of the areas in the grip of violence.
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