The Karnataka High Court has passed an interim order restraining Kannada news channel Power TV and its affiliate Mitcoin Infraprojects from broadcasting content, Bar and Bench reported.
Justice SR Krishna Kumar reportedly noted on Tuesday that prima facie the channel’s licence to broadcast content has not been renewed and the Centre has already issued a showcause notice to Power Smart Media Private Limited, which operates Power TV, on February 9 about the purported failure to renew its licence, and that proceedings in relation to the same were presently pending.
“It would be just and appropriate to direct respondent No.3 (Power Smart Media) / respondent No.5 (Mitcoin) and other private respondents (Directors of Power Smart Media and Mitcoin) not to continue with any broadcast and restrain all the private respondents from carrying on any broadcast activity till the next date of hearing,” the court said, according to Bar and Bench.
The interim order was passed on two petitions filed by IPS officer Dr BR Ravikanthe Gowda and JDS leader HM Ramesh Gowda and his wife Dr A Ramya Ramesh.
The petitioners had earlier argued that they were “victims” of broadcasts by Power TV and that the channel did not have any licence to continue operating. They urged the High Court to order the Centre to halt Power TV from telecasting or broadcasting any news.
During an earlier hearing, the court was told that Mitcoin Infraproject, affiliated with Power TV, had a valid licence, but this week, Justice Krishna Kumar found that the licence period had ended in October 2021 and that there was no document produced to conclusively establish that Mitcoin’s licence was renewed.
The matter will be heard next on July 9.
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