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Reporter TV logo, and Jose Kutty Augustine, Roji Augustine, and Anto Augustine
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has issued notice to the Centre on a petition alleging violations of the Union government’s broadcasting guidelines in the operation of Malayalam news channel Reporter TV.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas on Monday directed the Centre’s standing counsel to obtain instructions on the plea.
The petition has been filed by Sabu M Jacob, Managing Director of Kitex Garments Ltd and president of political party Twenty20.
Jacob has sought a direction to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to consider and act on a representation he submitted on February 2, 2026.
In the petition, Jacob has requested the ministry to initiate proceedings under the Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Satellite Television Channels in India, 2022.
He has alleged that the broadcast licence granted for Reporter TV has been misused through changes in control and operations without prior approvals.
As per the plea, the broadcast licence for Reporter TV was originally granted to Indo-Asian News Channel Private Limited. The petition claims that attempts were made in 2023 to alter the shareholding structure and board-level appointments linked to the licensee company.
It alleges that K J Jose, described in the petition as the managing director of Reporter Broadcasting Company, and V V Saju, a shareholder, sought to acquire a controlling stake in Indo-Asian News Channel Pvt Ltd.
The plea further claims that the Ministry of Home Affairs denied security clearance for the proposed change in directors and the change in shareholding pattern on grounds linked to national security.
Jacob has contended that after the security clearance was denied, control and operation of the channel were effectively transferred to another entity, Reporter Broadcasting Company Private Limited, without prior approval of the ministry.
The petition alleges this amounts to a contravention of the 2022 broadcasting guidelines.
The petition states that the guidelines do not permit any substantive change in ownership or control, or contracting out of core operations of a television channel, without prior government permission.
It also points to provisions that allow the Centre to suspend or cancel a licence in public interest or on national security grounds, the plea says.
To support the allegations of a de facto transfer, the petition relies on documents including a trademark assignment executed in January 2023.
The plea claims rights in the “Reporter” mark were transferred from M V Nikesh Kumar, managing director of Indo-Asian News Channel Pvt Ltd, to K J Jose.
The petition also refers to public representations on websites and social media platforms, including screenshots and profiles, to argue that individuals associated with Reporter Broadcasting Company have publicly claimed ownership and managerial control over the channel.
Jacob has argued that this alleged transfer of control, especially after denial of security clearance to certain individuals, amounts to an indirect transfer aimed at bypassing regulatory prohibitions.
The writ petition also refers to civil proceedings before the Sub Court, Perumbavoor. Jacob has said he has filed a defamation suit against parties associated with the channel.
The plea claims the civil court passed an interim order restraining the defendants from making defamatory statements against him and the Kitex Group, and observed that the allegations were prima facie defamatory.
Jacob has sought a writ of mandamus directing the ministry to consider and act on his February 2 representation.
The plea also seeks action under Paragraph 26(2) of the broadcasting guidelines, and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
The court notice comes at a time when Reporter TV has also come under industry scrutiny over separate allegations of ratings manipulation reported in Kerala.
A Malayalam news channel, Twentyfour News, had reported in November 2025 that a fresh TRP scam was unfolding in the state.
The report alleged a link between a Kerala news channel and a senior employee of BARC India, and claimed sensitive information was supplied, including PIN-code-level details of locations where BARC meters are installed.
BARC India, in a statement, acknowledged the report and said it had engaged an independent agency to conduct a forensic audit into the matter. BARC also asked parties, including the media, to refrain from unverified or speculative claims while the audit is underway.
Reporter TV is a 24-hour Malayalam news channel based in Kochi, and is owned by Reporter Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd, part of Emaraj Group’s media network, as per publicly available company representations.