Malayalam News Channel Goes Off Air After Govt Refuses Security Clearance, Exploring Legal Options

In a statement, Mediaone TV channel said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has imposed a broadcasting ban on the channel.

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam television channel MediaOne TV on Monday went off air after its name was removed from list of permitted channels by the Ministry of Information and broadcasting. As per a report by NDTV, the ministry denied permission for the channel’s renewal of license after the “Union home ministry’s refusal to give security clearance”.

On the other hand, the MediaOne TV said it is exploring legal options and for now, broadcast has been stopped, the channel said. It must be noted that MediaOne TV had earlier applied for broadcast permissions to be renewed from September 30, 2021 to September 29, 2031.

In a statement, Mediaone TV editor Pramod Raman said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has imposed a broadcasting ban on the channel.

#standwithMediaOne

An interim order has been passed by Kerala High Court J. Nagaresh staying the MIB order that revoked broadcasting license of MediaoneTV, for two days. “You cannot disrupt the broadcasting,” J. Nagaresh observed. Court will resume hearing the case on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/WVHtLzM2nF

— Abul Aala Subhani (@abulaalasubhani) January 31, 2022

“The ministry has said the ban was due to security reasons, but the channel is yet to get the details on it. The Centre has not made the details about the ban available to Mediaone TV. We have started legal action against the ban. After completing the process, the channel would be back to the audience. We are suspending the broadcasting temporarily with the hope that justice will prevail at last,” the statement said.

In the meantime, Indian Union Muslim League MLA MK Muneer in a tweet opposed the government’s move. “I&B ministry’s decision to revoke the license of Media One is arbitrary and highly condemnable. This is silencing of critical voices. GoI must remove the ban ASAP!” his post read.

I&B ministry's decision to revoke the license of Media One is arbitrary and highly condemnable. This is silencing of critical voices. GoI must remove the ban ASAP!

— Dr. M.K. Muneer (@MKMUNEER) January 31, 2022

However, this is not the first time that the channel was taken off air. In 2020, MediaOne TV was taken off air after the I&B Ministry said it violated provisions of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 during its coverage of the violence in Delhi linked to the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.