The Centre made efforts to stop the broadcast of Malayalam news channel MediaOne, not once but twice, citing “national security” as the reason, The Quint has learnt by accessing documents of correspondence between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the channel.
While on Monday, 31 January, the I&B Ministry denied the channel the right to run its operations on “national security” grounds, in 2016, the channel was sent a showcause notice which had cited the same reason – "national security" – for demanding a halt to its functioning.
This was in addition to an order which suspended the channel’s broadcast for 48 hours in February 2020, in view of its extensive coverage of the Delhi riots. The same time, another Malayalam news channel Asianet was also asked to halt its broadcast for two days.
MediaOne is the news channel of Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited, a company owned by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), an Islamic organisation. MediaOne, therefore, could be the only news channel in the country that has Muslim ownership.
How did the I&B Ministry try to curtail the channel’s broadcast?
Sudden Showcause in 2016
Two years after the BJP government first came to power in the Centre, on 12 February 2016, Madhyamam Broadcasting was issued a showcause notice from the I&B Ministry. The order asked the channel authorities why its license should not be cancelled as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled its security clearance on “national security” grounds. Late Arun Jaitley was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting in 2016.
The showcause, however, did not explain what part of the channel’s coverage allegedly breached national security.
As per correspondence documents The Quint has accessed, Madhyamam Broadcasting wrote back to the I&B Ministry on 29 January 2016. The letter stated that MediaOne has “never acted against national security.” The letter also asked for the specific grounds on which the alleged national security breach has taken place.
Further to Madhyamam’s reply, the I&B Ministry renewed the license of the channel in 2019. During the intervening years, the I&B Ministry did not deny the channel its right to function. Meaning, the reply was found to be satisfactory at the time. “We considered the renewal of license as a positive sign. Never did we think that the channel’s license will be cancelled again,” a senior manager at the company told The Quint.
However, on 5 January 2022, two years after the BJP government came to power in the Centre for the second time, the I&B Ministry issued another showcause to Madhyamam Broadcasting.
Second Showcause in 2022
Like the first, the second showcause notice, too, asked the broadcaster why its license should not be cancelled as the MHA has cancelled its security clearance on “national security” grounds. This was after the company applied for a renewal of license in May 2021. In 2019, the channel got its license renewed for two years.
Currently, Anurag Singh Thakur is the Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
The showcause notice read, “The MHA has informed that the security clearance has been denied in the past to the proposals of the company and the security clearance may be considered as denied in the present case also.” That is, the MHA cited the 2016 case, where it had initially cancelled the security clearance to the company, while denying for the second time the broadcaster’s security clearance. The MHA, however, does not mention that security clearance was given to MedioOne later, after the Madhyamam's reply to the I&B Ministry.
On 19 January 2022, Madhyamam wrote back to the I&B Ministry asking for a “personal hearing” as the showcause notice “does not disclose the reason for denial of security clearance to MediaOne.”
This time, however, the I&B Ministry did not renew the company’s license. Instead, it issued an order on 31 January 2022, asking the company to stop operations. This despite Madhyamam Broadcasting explaining to I&B Ministry that, “MediaOne TV channel never indulged in any activity in violation of any rules or regulations in any manner to deny the security clearance.”
While the channel stopped its broadcast at 12 noon on 31 January, it came back on air at 7 pm, after the Kerala High Court deferred the I&B Ministry's order till 2 February, the next date on which the case is posted.
What does the channel’s senior employees think about the Union government’s concerns over national security?
‘Clueless’: MediaOne Sources Say
According to a source, the channel’s coverage was “nothing out of the ordinary.” They said, “We have been covering what other news channels in Kerala have been covering. Our coverage has been extensive, but we always follow all regulations and guidelines.”
The I&B Ministry’s order revoking Madhyamam’s license came as a surprise for most employees at the channel.
In the letter to the I&B Ministry, the broadcaster has said that over 300 employees of the channel could be affected by the ministry’s order.
Madhyamam has accused the I&B Ministry of taking decisions which are “highly arbitrary, improper and illegal and the same is in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.” The company has also informed the I&B Ministry that denial of license also amounts to “denial of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the constitution.” Kerala's political leaders, cutting across party lines, have lent their support for MediaOne. Kerala BJP has, however, remained noncommittal.
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