KATHMANDU, July 13: The cable television operators in Nepal have lifted a ‘blanket ban’ on Indian news channels starting Sunday evening.
According to Dhurba Sharma, Vice Chairperson at Max Digital Television, a meeting of television operators decided to lift the ban on Indian news channels with only a few news channels banned in Nepal. “A few news channels airing "objectionable" content are still banned in Nepal," Sharma said.
Cable operators decide not to air Indian news channels in Nepal
The decision comes in the wake of a few subscribers, who have subscribed Indian channels, also objected to the decision to place a blanket ban on Indian news channels. “The news channels that are allowed to broadcast in Nepal will again be banned if they air objectionable content,” Sharma further said.
On June 9, cable television operators stopped airing Indian news channels as a section of Indian news channels broadcasted highly objectionable content about Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Yanqi.
The cable operators had decided to only air India’s state-owned Doordarshan Television. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology had thanked the cable operators for taking proactive decision to discourage dissemination of baseless news and propaganda.