TRC takes 22 illegal TV stations to task

by Manjula FERNANDO

The Telecom Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the police raided 22 illegal TV stations operating in the country within the past few months, TRC Director General Anusha Pelpita told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

According to the TRC 19 of these illegal TV stations were raided in Jaffna while the other three are in the southern parts of the country. He said some of these stations have been given time to prove their authenticity before taking legal action to suspend their operations in the light of self proclamations that they were owned by registered TV companies.

"When the officials stormed these illegal entities they immediately claimed that these are sub stations owned by leading companies in the country and that prevents us from taking further action,"he said.

But now we have decided to call for documentary proof to substantiate their claims. If these stations have actually been acquired by these companies, there has to be some form of documentation, he said.

These big companies cannot maintain franchises such as supermarkets and fast food outlets," the TRC DG said adding that if they find the big companies breaching the agreements with the TRC, they will take tough action.

The TRC DG said a leading cable TV company has offered to redeem some of the mini stations raided in Jaffna by the TRC, with the claim that they were sub stations owned by the company.

"We want to ascertain if this is actually so. If found otherwise we will go ahead with a Court order to shut them down."

The latest raid on the illegal station in Nawalapitiya was carried out by the Gampola police last week. The CID is also conducting investigations on these illegal stations, Pelpita said.