ITV

Tag: TV channel ban

  • MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has prohibited the transmission of 15 channels for violations under the uplinking/downlinking and of the programme code since 2019, minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

    Thakur also said that the ministry has issued directions for blocking 56 YouTube-based news channels and their social media accounts for public access during 2021-22 under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics) Rules 2021.

    Between 2014-2021, the ministry of electronics and information technology also exercised its powers under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to block 25,369 URLs, consisting of web pages, websites, pages on social media accounts etc.

    The Lok Sabha questioned the minister whether the government is authorised to impose broadcast bans on TV channels and if it has outlined any policy for the same. It also asked if the government has put a redressal mechanism in place to hear the grievances of the channels.

    The minister informed the Lok Sabha that all private satellite TV channels are granted permission by the ministry under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines, 2011 and are required to adhere to the terms and conditions of such permission including adherence to the programme code and advertisement code and other provisions laid down under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

    He further noted that the grant of permission to a satellite TV channel under the guidelines is subject to security clearance by the ministry of home affairs as per the procedure laid down by it.

    To address the grievances of TV channels, the government follows the due process of law and laid down the process before taking a decision to suspend/prohibit a channel. “Grievances related to the uplinking/downlinking guidelines are addressed by the ministry,” said Thakur.

    The Lok Sabha also asked if the government had conveyed a detailed explanation of why MediaOne was not allowed to continue their broadcasting to the channel management. To which the I&B minister replied, “The government has followed due process of law and the laid down procedure before taking a decision regarding the cancellation of permission to TV news channel ‘Media One’. The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.”

    He further informed the Lok Sabha that details of channels whose permission has been cancelled for violation of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines are available on the I&B ministry’s Broadcast Seva portal.

  • Kerala HC upholds ban on Malayalam channel MediaOne

    Kerala HC upholds ban on Malayalam channel MediaOne

    Mumbai: The Kerala high court has dismissed the appeal by Malayalam news channel against the single judge order upholding the recent ban imposed on it by the ministry of information and broadcasting citing security concerns.

    A division bench of chief justice S Manikumar and justice Shaji P Chaly upheld the order passed by the ministry of information and broadcasting refusing the broadcast license granted to MediaOne. “We have perused the confidential files and we are convinced that there is threat to national security,” said the bench while pronouncing the verdict.

    Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited which operates the channel MediaOne had applied for renewal of permission on 3 May 2021 and was denied security clearance by the ministry of home affairs. Subsequently, the ministry of information and broadcasting revoked the company’s license to uplink and downlink Malayalam news channel MediaOne on 31 January citing security concerns.

    As per the I&B ministry’s order, clause 9.2 of the uplinking guidelines stipulates that security clearance of a company and its directors is a prerequisite condition for grant of permission for TV channels.

    In addition to the channel, appeals were also filed by its employees including its editor against the I&B ministry’s decision which were also rejected by a single judge on 8 February.

    This is the second time that the channel has been barred from airing. In March 2020, Asianet News and MediaOne TV had been barred for 48 hours by I&B ministry citing security concerns.