Popular Radio network Asian Broadcasting Corporation had their broadcasting licenses for all their channels (Sha, Hiru, Gold, Sun and Sooriyan) withdrawn by the Sri Lankan Government on friday due to an erroneous report in their news updates that lead to panic.
First and foremost ABC Networks should have carefully verified the information prior to broadcasting it. It was a very irresponsible act by ABC Networks.
However amidst all this there seem to be some sinister moves behind the withdrawal of licenses. The usual practice when irresponsible reporting is carried out by a radio station, is to suspend news broadcasts on the station and the management and the news division of the concerned network are taken to task. Instead of that the entire station has been taken off air jeopardizing the jobs of almost 300 employees and depriving many Sri Lankans of entertainment from their 5 radio stations. According to some reports it seems that a certain individual at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) who was awarded a license to operate a radio station has not been allocated a frequency due to a lack of frequencies available in the spectrum and therefore this individual has seized the opportunity and has made sure that ABC Networks licenses are withdrawn in order to get some frequencies. This same individual was one of the shadowy figures behind the entire CBNsat (now Dialog TV) sealing incident a few years back.
ABC Networks have now taken the entire issue to courts and we believe that the first hearing is due today. We hope that the authorities concerned will reinstate the ABC Network licenses with immediate effect but with a restriction on carrying out news broadcasts until a suitable explanation is obtained from the management and the news division for broadcasting a false report and an apology is issued to the authorities and the public concerned.
The authorities should also take immediate steps to introduce digital radio to Sri Lanka so that frequencies are available to all those who have been issued with licenses. Digital radio is a must otherwise we will hear more incidents of government stooges waiting to close down other stations in order to grab frequencies.
First and foremost ABC Networks should have carefully verified the information prior to broadcasting it. It was a very irresponsible act by ABC Networks.
However amidst all this there seem to be some sinister moves behind the withdrawal of licenses. The usual practice when irresponsible reporting is carried out by a radio station, is to suspend news broadcasts on the station and the management and the news division of the concerned network are taken to task. Instead of that the entire station has been taken off air jeopardizing the jobs of almost 300 employees and depriving many Sri Lankans of entertainment from their 5 radio stations. According to some reports it seems that a certain individual at the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) who was awarded a license to operate a radio station has not been allocated a frequency due to a lack of frequencies available in the spectrum and therefore this individual has seized the opportunity and has made sure that ABC Networks licenses are withdrawn in order to get some frequencies. This same individual was one of the shadowy figures behind the entire CBNsat (now Dialog TV) sealing incident a few years back.
ABC Networks have now taken the entire issue to courts and we believe that the first hearing is due today. We hope that the authorities concerned will reinstate the ABC Network licenses with immediate effect but with a restriction on carrying out news broadcasts until a suitable explanation is obtained from the management and the news division for broadcasting a false report and an apology is issued to the authorities and the public concerned.
The authorities should also take immediate steps to introduce digital radio to Sri Lanka so that frequencies are available to all those who have been issued with licenses. Digital radio is a must otherwise we will hear more incidents of government stooges waiting to close down other stations in order to grab frequencies.
16 comments:
Come on admin,Dont bring Lakshman Hulugalle for everything and you have made him a scapegoat.Sure,He is a corrupted character and was the main figure behind the closure of CBNsat.But this is a differant scenario and ABC is playing with the national security of this country and they are pro UNP/LTTE and anti government.We all know the station is owned by the brother of a UNP provincial councillor.
Very True,
They did not appologise and now they are lying saying they did appologise. Anyway they caused an untold amount of fear in the minds of people. Tgey just want to be the 1st give the news at any cost. now they have to pay.
BTW where has the admin been all these days. Please continue to update this blog, or your in jeopardy of loosing many readers. i'm sure many people have already moved away from this blog.
ABC Radio Networks have violated the human rights of people of Sri Lanka by airing a false news item and creating a panic situation in the country to gain cheap political advantage.
This type of stations which compromises national security and the security of the general public should be banned without any question.
Media minister have taken a bold decision and all the wal-buru journalists like Sunanda Desha-Apriya should learn a lesson rather than barking on behalf of their masters for the greediness of few dollars.
What a funny comments admin. These three comments are from the same group I guess. For the moment none of us allowed to criticize the lunatic government of this tiny land.
And there few ass licker's are there to clean the dirty clothes of so called wal booru politicians.
I have 2 questions.
With this movement of the media minister, no one is allowed to air news prior to observing the truthfulness of the source.
1. Will it be possible to check whether the Tsunami is coming?
2. Is it possible to go and see whether the LTTE is attacking?
Sometimes these political dogs will go there and sniff first and they will bring down the news. So it’s the task of minister who handles the media to verify the news by visiting the areas. I don’t think that it will become a reality.
I don’t see any threat to national security by broadcasting news about LTTE’s presence close to MRs meda moolana hora bunglow. I never see any of the weapons owned to SLA or SLAF through private channels. Only state media did that. Then they have exposed the national security. So why don’t they suspend the license of those channels. Dirty politics man dirty politics. Shame on you guys. Stop licking the ASSes of PA bastards. They are destroying this tiny land in to pieces.
if the government worried so much about national security, they would work on catching LTTE moles inside our armed forces, not closing down media organizations.
This Taleban type Rajapaksha Junta
is always tring to close media. This government should ban itself several times for spreading gaja binna through its punnakku channels rupavahini,itn,slbc and modaya center for national security.
is sri lanka becoming the next myanmar???
If the government wanted to close down stations due to political connections,they should have gone ahead and shut Sirasa which went to the extent of appointing Ranil as the next president by conducting an SMS vote.On the other hand Sunday Leader and Daily Mirror is 100% against the goverment.
So I dont agree with those who say that this action was politically motivated.
Com on,stop looking at this from a political angle.
My favourite station was Gold Fm.So I also feel sad that there is no proper retro music any more.But there should be a limit to what these FM jokers are doing.
It is not Politics.These stations are simply going behind money.But they have shamelessely ignored all ethics associated with their proffetion.
i feel realy sorry for people like the Tsunami anon,this is has nothing to do with the safeguarding of the PA,ABC is purely UNP motivated,and do you call Duminda Silva a politician? ABC is only concerned about his profile,People like you should be hanged for not being concerned about the innocent people who suffer.
Take lesson grom the guys who post in the Defencenet blog and their contribution in a silent way,They dont cry for petty things like you do.
The best thing you could is get the FMM,Sunanda Deshapriya,Raynor Silva and the Admin of this blog and destroy the moraile of the security forces and people living in the conflict areas,It wont be hard for traitors like you and Ranil Wickramasinghe.
It seems like “debereta gal gahuwa”
Couple of buggers told that I am a moron…
Like Buddha, I am not going to take it; you guys can keep it…
Idiots… listen…
You MFs doing the war from Colombo but do not know the truth….
You can not do the war through blogs… If you are having real gutts then join with voluntary forces…
What an example… Comparing Nugegoda with Hambantota… Real ass holes…
Do not have the general knowledge
I can not keep my mouth shut since I was actively in the war front for twenty long years and lost my right eye, my own brother and few cousins…
I am still proud of wearing the SLA uniform…
Listen to this…
Hambantota is stationing about 300 KM away from Colombo and some villages are remote as hell…
So it’s hard to get the facts…
That’s why LTTE hit the Thalgasmankada and escape without any major casualties…
So it’s your duty to keep them alarmed in such an event…
People living in Morawewa, Janakapura, Rotawewa used flee from their homes even for a noise of fire crackers…
Because they love to save their lives…
My point is that in such a case best thing is to make the noise and keep the poor villagers at alarm
That’s the truth…
You MFs only know what the state media and the military spokes person says to the nations…
I do not blame him since he used to keep the community calm…
You are taliking about two different things…
Who let the morale of our soldiers down…
Its MR and so called army chief…
Army chief is there at his seat because of MR… MR using him for his dirty politics…
Because the bugger owes more than 45 million rupees to the SLT…
Most of our officer knowing this… MR got the publicity by sending his son to Navy… ultimately he let the forces down by sending his son to UK… he stole the opportunity which should goes for some one who deserves it….
These are the factors which let down our forces…
Shame on you guys…
You guys are supporting to the biggest ever traitor of this country… and for the biggest liar in the history books…
hats off to anon. @ 11.43am. (if you really were in the army)
MR and any other politician can have a "bold" stance against ltte, but it is the ppl in the front line who have to do the dirty work, and lose life and limb.
11.43 Anon,We dont beleive you at all,If you are so confident of the things what you say, you should be on the defencewire or defencenet blogs,And then we should know what you are talking about.
So try your luck and you being a so called war veteran,you may come thumbs up,take the challenge.
1. Will it be possible to check whether the Tsunami is coming?
2. Is it possible to go and see whether the LTTE is attacking?
ane gono, ubalata thama kiyane bath kana harak kiyala....
So it’s hard to get the facts… ? oh yeah then why did they broadcast it to the whole island
there are people licking assholes of Ranil/Raynor/Prabha.
Be Careful!
Best ever solution given for ABC. Good thing is that SHAA is no more. Please also check about their transmitter strength I feel they are using above the normal/standards. May be they have given something special by UNP govt.
I was at Tissamaharama and witnessed their reporting lies. Also had a sleepless night.
So called Gentlemen in Colombo does not know anything about anything. They just write read gossip and thats all.
i know this is not the right plae to ask this question/..
is there anyone know how many licenses been issued so far in sri lanka and to whom..???
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