Dhiraagu takes Broadcom to court for rebroadcasting licence
Following the change, Dhiraagu, majority owned by Bahrain's Batelco, will not have a rebroadcasting licence
Dhiraagu has filed a case at the Civil Court against the Broadcasting Commission's (Broadcom) amended regulations to restrict rebroadcasting licenses to only 100% of local companies.
The rules amended by Broadcom in January state:
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Only companies with 100% stake will be allowed to rebroadcast in the Maldives
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Following the change, Dhiraagu, majority owned by Bahrain's Batelco, will not have a rebroadcasting licence
In July, when Dhiraagu applied for renewal of its rebroadcasting licence, it was told that it could not be granted licences under the new rules. Dhiraagu TV will be forced to discontinue the service once its existing licence expires in January 2023.
Dhiraagu had moved the court seeking a judicial review to determine whether the action taken as a result of the rules was within the ambit of law. Dhiraagu has also sought an interim injunction to ensure that Dhiraagu TV services continue uninterrupted till the court decides on the matter.
Dhiraagu could not be reached for comment. The company, however, had earlier said at a parliamentary committee session that efforts were being made to continue the service.
Parliament's Committee on Independent Institutions and the Regulations Committee are looking into issues related to allegedly changing rebroadcasting regulations to benefit certain companies.. Most of the lawmakers who spoke on the issue spoke out against Broadcom.
Broadcom, however, told the committee that the change was aimed at facilitating local businesses and that no violations of any law or regulation had been identified.
