New Delhi: Kannada news channel Power TV ceased broadcasting on Thursday, following the Karnataka High Court's interim order that it lacked the necessary licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for news transmission.
The channel and its director, Rakesh Shetty, have led campaigns against Janata Dal (Secular) leaders accused of sexual assault. Two cases were filed against Power TV by JD(S) MLC H M Ramesh Gowda and IPS officer B R Ravikanthe Gowda. They informed the court that Power TV's operators, Power Smart Media and Mitcon Infraprojects, failed to comply with an April court order to stop broadcasting due to a lack of a proper licence.
After hearing arguments, the Karnataka High Court ordered Power TV to cease broadcasting. The channel then displayed a blank screen with the message “Satyameva Jayate” or "Truth Will Prevail."
The Government of India (GoI) initiated proceedings against Power Smart Media and Mitcon Infraprojects. A show-cause notice was issued on February 9 to Mitcon Infraprojects for broadcasting Power TV without a valid licence, which expired on October 12, 2021. The company had applied for renewal on December 30, 2022, which was still under review.
The GoI stated that Power Smart Media was not permitted to uplink and downlink a TV channel and must halt broadcasting until the completion of proceedings by the I&B ministry.
Despite Power Smart Media and Mitcon Infraprojects' claims of having renewed their permission, the court found no evidence of a valid licence. The court ruled that broadcasting should cease until the next hearing on July 9.
In 2020, Power TV was previously taken off air from September 29 to October 7 due to an investigation into an alleged blackmail case filed by a businessman.
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