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Broadcasting Corporation had their broadcasting licenses for all their channels (Sha, Hiru, Gold, Sun and Sooriyan) withdrawn by the Sri Lankan Government on friday due to an erroneous report in their news updates that lead to panic.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the spectrum and therefore this individual has seized the opportunity and has made sure that ABC Networks licenses are withdrawn in order to get some frequencies.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.
..nothing personal wit ABC..
