TV channel appeals against 10-day ban on its transmission

Entertainment channel Comedy Central today filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court against a single judge order upholding the Centre's decision to stop its transmission for ten days for airing "obscene" dialogues and "vulgar" words besides being derogatory to women.
Filing the appeal before the bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath, the channel said prohibition of transmission will cause "irreparable" loss and damage its popularity.
The bench, which could not take up the matter due to lawyer's strike in the high court, has fixed the matter for hearing tomorrow.
In its appeal, Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd said, "Prohibition of transmission will cause irreparable loss and damage to the appellant. It will also put an end to the popularity and the viability, commercially or otherwise, of the channel."

The channel also claimed that transmission is its fundamental right and said, "The right to operate and broadcast television channel is protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. In this view of the matter, the appellants submit that they are entitled to fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution."
"The manner in which respondent (Centre) has interpreted the policies and imposed penalty in complete violation of the fundamental rights of the appellant is not only anachronistic to the constitutional value of liberal democracy but also inconsistent with prevailing practices worldwide," the appeal also said.
On May 24, the single judge of High Court upheld the Centre's decision banning the transmission of the channel for ten days ie from May 25 to June 4.