Wednesday, August 16, 2006

TV Station Licences to be freely issued : Media Ministry - Daily Mirror 16th Aug 2006

Licence to run TV stations would be issued freely to anybody once the draft regulations come into operation, counsel for the Media Ministry, Hemaka Warnakulasuriya told the Additional Magistrate of Colombo yesterday.

He said that once the regulations were drafted Cable TV operators would have to adhere to the regulations. The drafting of regulations would take about another month and requested court to keep the cases pending until such time.

The counsel for SatNet, Anujaya Premaratne said that to enforce rules and regulations in retrospect was bad and those who have already obtained licenses should be allowed to continue with their licenses without calling for new applications from them.

Counsel for LBN said that the Supreme Court had allowed CBNSat to run test transmissions and to operate their equipment without telecasting the programmes. On those grounds, they too made an application to the magistrate to operate test transmissions. Their application was granted and they will start test transmissions on Thursdays.

State Counsel Gihan Kultunga appearing for the CID moved a date to file charges against the TV networks. Counsel for CBNSat M.L.M Ameen PC said they has obtained permission from the Supreme Court to run test transmissions. On the last date of hearings of their case in the Supreme Court there was a proposal for a settlement and the CID need not file action against them as the matter would be settled.

He also said that as the Supreme Court inquiry was fixed for August 23, the case could be called on August 24 to ascertain the progress. The case was put off for August 24.

By T. Farook Thajudeen

No comments: