Broadcom refuses to review RaajjePLUS license issue

Maldives Broadcasting Commission (MBC) has refused to review their decision to nullify license granted to R Productions’ RaajjePLUS.

The Commission said that RaajjePLUS license was terminated on the grounds that the company had not begun transmitting in the period provided to it after the license was granted. Therefore, the Commission could not review the case and there were no changes to the status quo that warranted a change to their initial decision.

However, a statement from R Productions claims that it acquired the license from Jotek Private Limited, which operated a channel called ‘Vai TV’ under the license, and therefore claimed that it cannot be terminated on the grounds of no transmission.

Further, R Productions had in September launched ‘RaajjePlus’ which has been broadcasting via internet protocol television.

While the commission's termination of the company’s license states that it had been given broadcasting license to transmit via satellite, R Productions claims that broadcasting laws only require that licensed broadcasters transmit within a 12-month period, and does not specify a format to deliver content on.

R Productions further said in its statement that the company has enough evidence to prove in court that the license was terminated unlawfully, and that staff within the broadcasting commission will provide testimony to the fact that licensed broadcasters are not legally required to only transmit through satellite.

The company also highlighted how the commission has allowed other broadcasting that transmite soley via internet protocol networks to retain their license while having terminated theirs, something R Productions described to be a violation of their constitutional rights.