SC issues show cause notice over ban on BBC retransmission

kathmandu Dec 4-The Supreme Court on Sunday issued a show cause notice to the government on a case challenging the notice to ban the retransmission of BBC Nepali Service programs on Radio Sagarmatha.

Acting on a writ petition filed on Friday, a single bench of acting Chief Justice Kedar Prasad Giri asked the concerned government authorities to appear before the court on December 7 with a clarification.

Bhupendra Basnet, general secretary of the Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), which runs Radio Sagarmatha, had filed a writ petition against the government’s notice to the FM station to stop up-linking the BBC Service.

The Ministry of Information and Communication had given the order even as the apex court issued a stay order over the government ban on newscasts on FM radios last week.

Mainwhile,Radio Listeners' Clubs have announced that they would launch a protest programme against the government ban on broadcasting of Human Rights Education Programme on Radio Nepal.

The programme is produced and broadcast by Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) and had stopped airing from November 12.The meeting of the National Council of the Human Rights Education Radio Listeners' Club in Dhulikhel on Saturday announced they would launch a phase-wise protest programme against the government ban.

About 1150 Radio Listeners' Clubs in 73 districts are going to protest against the government's decision.

According to protest programme schedule, listeners will tie black band on their hands on December 10 and inform the UN Commission for Human Rights on January 21, regarding this issue. The council meeting also welcomed the extension of unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists and requested the government to reciprocate the move.

After the meeting, Subodh Raj Pyakurel, president of INSEC said: "People have to get information; it's their rights. Radio Nepal banned the broadcasting of programme but we will air programmes in other FM Radio stations."

Kundan Aryal, INSEC general secretary said, "People's right to expression has been violated and it is necessary to protest against this."Human Rights Education Programme was being aired in Radio Nepal since January 21, 1995. Radio Sagarmatha FM and Sworgadwari FM were also airing the same programme