Geo News, Dawn News and entertainment channels of ARY among those banned, cable operators say the order is a threat to their business.
New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has directed cable operators to stop airing 30 television channels, including Pakistani news channels and religious channels.
Sources said the measures were taken two days after union minister of information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore spoke to Governor Narinder Nath Vohra. The state has been under Governor’s Rule since 20 June.
Last year, the state government had ordered a stop to the transmission of 34 unauthorised channels, but to no avail. This time, though, the order is much more stringent.
Which channels have been banned?
The banned channels include the Geo News network, news and entertainment channels of ARY, Dawn News, Iranian channel Karbala and other religious channels from Saudi Arabia. Controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik’s popular channel Peace TV was already banned in the state. These channels are not approved by the union ministry of information and broadcasting.
A letter from the state home department has been sent to the magistrates of all districts, directing them to act against the transmission of these channels.
“It has become necessary and expedient in the larger interest of public and maintenance of peace and tranquility to prohibit you from transmitting non-permitted TV channels (channels not permitted by ministry of information and broadcasting),” reads the order sent to local cable operators on 12 July.
“You are hereby directed to immediately stop telecasting and transmitting non-permitted TV channels and banned private satellite channels within a period of three days.”
Threat to business
After this new order, cable operators sense a threat to their business.
“The demand for religious TV channels is huge, as this is a Muslim majority state. We got business because we were providing these channels. If there is no difference between us and the direct-to-home TV providers, why would a customer choose us? This is a blatant attack on our business,” Showkat, a local cable franchise employee in Srinagar, told ThePrint.