Supreme Court asks to lift ban on telecast of ABN Andhra Jyothi channel

Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana state government and the Centre to take steps to restore broadcasting of ABN Andhra Jyothi channel through Multi System Operators (MSOs) in the state with immediate effect.

MSOs in Telangana had been banning telecast of ABN Andhra Jyothi for the last 502 days. “Though justice was delayed, ultimately justice was not denied to us, it is nothing but a victory of dharma,” said Mr Vemuri Radhakrishna, managing director of the channel and the Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi.

Member of the Press Council of India and Journalists’ Union leader Kosuru Amarnath had demanded that the state government and MSOs restore telecast of the channel which was subjected to an undemocratic and illegal ban all these months.

MSOs in TS had stopped telecast of TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothi, run by Amoda Broadcasting Company Private Limited, in TS allegedly due to deliberate denigration and mockery of TS legislators in its programmes.

The Telecom Settlement Dispute Settlement and Appellate Tribunal in October 2014 had granted an order in favour of TV9 to restore its telecast over cable TV networks.

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