The Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media will take the necessary action on complaints received against any broadcaster alleged to have violated its broadcasting frequency licence conditions, Cabinet Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa said on Wednesday.
Jayatissa was responding to questions about Minister K.D. Lal Kantha’s complaint against Hiru Media Network, operated by Asia Broadcasting Corporation, alleging a false report about the minister’s assets declaration. The Cabinet Spokesperson also confirmed that the Ministry has received a separate complaint from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) regarding the same broadcaster.
“If we get a complaint that conditions related to the broadcasting frequency licence have been violated, then the Ministry of Mass Media will initiate a probe,” Jayatissa said.
The complaints now span two regulatory tracks. Lal Kantha has also filed a separate complaint with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), alleging that Hiru violated the terms of its frequency licence. A Ministry probe would examine broadcast-content conditions in the licence, while the TRCSL review focuses on spectrum allocation and transmission compliance.
The development follows Lal Kantha’s initial complaint to the Mass Media Ministry and a Rs. 10 billion damages notice issued to the broadcaster. The CPC complaint followed earlier reporting by Hiru that the state oil company disputed. Asia Broadcasting Corporation previously retracted the specific asset figures cited in its original segment.
