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News |  03 Oct 2007 00:54 |  By RnMTeam

Government ban on Red FM subject to TDSAT order

NEW DELHI: Red FM has been banned from broadcasting for seven days with immediate effect following the controversy created by the remarks of a radio jockey last week about Indian Idol Prashant Tamang and the people of the Gorkha community. However, the order remains automatically stayed in view of a direction by broadcast tribunal TDSAT.

Tribunal chairman Justice Arun Kumar had yesterday, on a plea by M/s Digital Radio (Delhi) Broadcasting Limited, which operates Red FM, ordered that the ministry will be free to proceed with the show-cause notice and take whatever decision it feels proper or necessary in the facts and circumstances of the case," but held that any order or direction passed would not be implemented till 4 October, the next date of hearing.

However, a senior ministry official opined in a chat with indiantelevision.com that the TDSAT, like the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, could only adjudicate on issues related to carriage and not content and this fact would be raised on 4 October.

The ministry had in its notice to the channel asked it to show cause by 1600 hrs on 1 October why action should not be taken against it ?‹?“since it is prima facie evident that the remarks are in violation of the programme code of All India Radio.

In its reply, the channel is understood to have reproduced a statement issued by it consequent to the violent situation created by its broadcast. The statement said: "Red FM hails Prashant Tamang`s victory in Indian Idol and has been supporting his entire journey right from the start. As soon as we got to know that a section of the people have misinterpreted some of the statements in our show as being insulting, we have proactively cleared our stand. As the leader in the national FM broadcasting space we are in the business of music and providing joy to all our listeners. Our shows and RJ`s use humour and satire in their presentation and the popularity of their shows is there for all to see."

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