Election Commission bars NamoTV from airing political content

The Election Commission Thursday said since NaMo TV is sponsored by the BJP all recorded programmes displayed on the platform should be pre-certified by media certification and monitoring committee of Delhi and all political publicity contents being displayed without pre-certification be removed immediately.

The poll panel said any political content has to be permitted by the local media certification committee "strictly in accordance with the EC's instructions in this regard".

After the Congress filed a complaint with the poll panel about the channel disturbing the level playing field, the EC had asked the CEO Delhi to file a report on the issue.

Earlier, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the poll panel that it was an advertising platform that did not require a license from the ministry.

The Delhi CEO approved the logo of NaMo TV, which the BJP said is part of the NaMo App that it owns, but did not "certify" the content as it contained the old speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It has been brought to the notice of the commission that NaMo TV/content TV is a platform service offered by DTH operators to the BJP on a paid basis... any political publicity material or contents being displayed on electronic media without the requisite certification from competent authority (MCMC in this ease) should be removed immediately and any political content shall only be permitted strictly in accordance with the EC's instructions in this regard," the EC directive read.

It pointed out that the Delhi CEO's committee has not pre-certified the content being displayed on NaMo TV.

"As NaMo TV/content TV is sponsored by a political party, all recorded programmes of political contents displayed on the channel/platform would be covered under the purview of the commission's order... Accordingly, all political advertisements and all recorded programmes with political contents are mandatorily required to be pre-certified by the MCMC before telecasting/displaying," it said.