Centre bans NTV for a week, channel approaches HC

Hyderabad, Jan 28, 2015: NTV Director Ramadevi filed a petition in the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad challenging the Centre's orders banning telecast of its programs for a week from Feb 3. It may be recalled that the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry had issued orders on Dec 19 banning telecast of NTV channel's programs for a week from Feb 3 after it found substance in a complaint that the channel had telecast programs with indecent content, footage and visuals. The complaint relates to the telecast of the program titled 'Cine Colors' in February, March, April and May of 2012 by the NTV. The complainant said that the program 'Cine Colors' contained highly objectionable and indecent footage and visuals and violated the provisions of the Cable TV Act. The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry , after scrutinising the footage, came to a conclusion that the Channel had violated the provisions of the Act. As a punishment, it issued orders banning the telecast of its programs from Feb 3 to 10. Ramadevi, in her petition , has said that the Centre's orders had violated the principles of natural justice. "We had stopped telecast of the program long back. We had also submitted a written reply on the issue to the Centre. It is not correct for the authorities to punish us now for a program telecast by us two years ago," Rama Devi argued in her petition.