Trivandrum: The Kerala High Court has issued notice to the Union government on a petition alleging breaches of broadcast licensing norms in the operation of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed the Centre’s standing counsel to obtain instructions on the matter on Monday.
The plea, filed by Sabu M Jacob—Managing Director of Kitex Garments and president of the Twenty20 political party—asks the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to act on his February 2, 2026 representation. Jacob has sought action under the 2022 Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Satellite Television Channels, including proceedings under Paragraph 26(2), which allows licence suspension or cancellation on public interest or national security grounds.
At the core of the petition are allegations that Reporter TV’s broadcast licence, originally granted to Indo-Asian News Channel Pvt Ltd, was effectively transferred without prior government approval. The plea claims attempts were made in 2023 to alter shareholding and board composition of the licensee company in favour of K J Jose and shareholder V V Saju. It states that the Ministry of Home Affairs denied security clearance for these changes, but control and operations were subsequently shifted to Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd—allegedly constituting a de facto transfer barred under the guidelines.
To substantiate this claim, the petition cites a January 2023 trademark assignment transferring rights in the “Reporter” brand from Indo-Asian News Channel MD M V Nikesh Kumar to K J Jose, alongside public representations and digital profiles indicating managerial control by individuals linked to Reporter Broadcasting Company. Jacob contends that such arrangements amount to an indirect ownership shift after regulatory rejection.
The writ also references parallel civil litigation in the Sub Court, Perumbavoor, where Jacob has filed a defamation suit against parties associated with the channel. He notes that the civil court granted an interim restraint against allegedly defamatory statements targeting him and the Kitex Group.
The High Court’s notice comes amid separate industry controversy involving Reporter TV. In November 2025, Malayalam channel Twentyfour News reported allegations of a fresh TRP manipulation scheme in Kerala, claiming links between a news broadcaster and a senior BARC India employee who allegedly shared confidential meter-location data. BARC acknowledged the report and commissioned an independent forensic audit, urging stakeholders to avoid speculative claims pending the probe.
Reporter TV is a Kochi-based 24-hour Malayalam news channel publicly presented as part of the Emaraj Group’s media network through Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd. The High Court has sought the Centre’s response on Jacob’s plea seeking regulatory action over the channel’s licensing and control structure.
