The ban on TV9 and ABN-Andhra Jyothy channels in Telangana State has completed 100 days now. The 100 days have become nothing sort of hell for the channels and as well as their staff. The TRPs have dropped down significantly and incomes have dried up. All these added up the channel managements are finding it difficult to pay salaries of the staff from the state.
Both the channels have pinned high hopes on the judiciary and the Central government to interfere in the issue and convince the government to resume their transmission in the region. However the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandra Sekhar Rao's statement of burying TV channels that do not respect Telangana 10Kms deep in the ground and breaking the necks have shattered their hopes very badly.
Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar have issued three deadlines for the MSOs to resume the channels' transmission but nothing happened till now. Journalists are demanding that the Center should step in to protect the Freedom of Press. It is known that the channels were banned by the MSOs of the region after Telangana Chief Minister K Chandra Sekhar Rao slammed them in Assembly for airing derogatory news on the region. Even though MSOs have banned the channels it is an open secret that the state government is supporting them from behind the scenes.
