New Delhi: Republic Media Network has launched an official complained against India Today Group owned Hindi News channel AajTak, alleging that the later has involved in placement of dual LCN frequencies. The complaint accused Aajtak of violating the regulatory norms of TRAI by placing AajTak on its own LCN and into its other channel Tez.
Republic Media Network, in its letter to Telecom Regulator TRAI, said, “We are writing to you to inform you about the flagrant violation done by the India Today Group with a tweet to their news channel Aaj TAK. They have been making available the channel on its own frequency and also on the frequency allotted to Tez News. Availability of the channel on two LCNs violate TRAIs Telecommunication (Broadcasting and Cable Services) Interconnection (Digital Addressable Cable Television Systems) Regulations 2012 and TRAI’s directions, vide press release titled ‘Listing of TV channels on Electronic Programme Guide’ dated May 31, 2017”.
It further stated that this unethical method of dual LCN is exploitative and is detrimental to other channels or the same genre. “We would also like to point out that this dual placement is also violative of the license terms of MIB which all channels require before they operate. The MIB license clearly mentions the channel name. genre and satellite placement terms. We request you to kindly look into this urgently and take stringent action against the erring channel,” it noted.
Sources reveal that new broadcaster ABP News Network has also wrote a complained against India Today Group channel for dual LCN violation.