New Delhi : The long lasting battle of TV9 has reached the next stage with a new order being passed by the TDSAT against the MSOs and government of Telangana against the E.A petition filed by TV9 before the Tribunal due to the failure of MSOs in resuming the transmission of signals as instructed by the TDSAT order dated 2nd September.
In response to the petition from TV9 Advocate Tejveender Singh Bhatia representing Siti Vision Digital Media Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad started transmission of the petitioner’s channel on 3 September 2014 at 4.30 pm. But, according to Mr. Bhatia, the office of the respondent started receiving threatening calls at about 9.00 pm and as a consequence, it took the respondent’s channel off air at 9.30 pm.
Similarly, Additional Advocate General of Telangana Mr. Rama Chandra Rao stated that in case the broadcast of the petitioner’s channel is resumed and as long as the broadcast does not violate any law or it does not make any defamatory references to the State ofTelangana, its people, its government and its elected representatives, the State of Telangana would do all that is required in law to provide sufficient security to the MSOs and LCOs in case of any threat of violence.
Mr. Rama Chandra Rao also stated that the matter is before the Privilege Committee of the Telangana Assembly, it has so far not passed any interim or final order in the matter. He also accepted that, so far, no proceeding has been initiated against the petitioner either under section 19 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 or under any other law and there is no order by any competent authority prohibiting the broadcast of the channel of the petitioner.
However, both Mr.Rao and Mr. Bhatia, invited the attention of TDSAT on Rule 5(A) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 which casts an obligation on the MSOs and the LCOs not to carry any programme which might be in violation of the Programme Code and/or the Advertisement Code prescribed under Rules 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, respectively.
Accepting the submission of MSO and Telangana government, TDSAT has directed the MSO to carry TV9 channel on air and asked the petitioner TV9 to file an undertaking before the Tribunal in course of the day that its channel shall strictly abide by the Programme Code and the Advertisement Code as enumerated under Rules 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules.
