In a big violation, like the earlier illegal broadcast of fugitive Jihadi leader Zakir Naik’s Peace TV, Kerala based Christian evangelical channel titled as Harvest TV is broadcasting its transmission for the past five years without licenses from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It is intriguing as to why many DTH Operators Tata Sky (1849), Airtel (872), Videocon (647) and Dish TV (647) air this evangelical channel to transmit illegally in India. No TV channel can be aired in India without the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) licenses.

Apart from the above-mentioned DTH operators, major cable operators like Asianet Digital (660), Kerala Vision (509), DEN (660) Siti Digital, Malanadu, Idukki Vision Digital, KCF, Act Digital TV are airing the illegal broadcast of Christian evangelical channel Harvest TV. This bizarre thing exposes that these DTH Operators and Cable Operators could be taking hefty money as carriage fees from this Harvest TV and airing it illegally. As per the concerned Rules of Cable TV Act, it is the duty of the operators to verify the channels aired by them to ensure that they have a license from the MIB. Unlike Harvest TV, these carriers are also doing a criminal violation, subject to prosecution.

Who owns the Christian evangelical channel Harvest TV?

Interestingly, this Harvest TV and the recently launched Congress leader Kapil Sibal and corruption and money laundering cases accused P Chidambaram supported Harvest TV share a similar kind of logo with minor color differences. We have written about it in December 2018 about the Congress leaders supported venture[1]. Now let us see who is behind this Christian evangelical TV with similar name Harvest TV.

The Kerala based Christian evangelical TV harvest TV has a website called http://harvesttv.in/

It is run by a company called Harvest Television Network Pvt. Ltd, with an address in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This company was floated in September 2013 and is promoted by one Bibi George Chacko and his wife Siji Bibi George. This TV Channel is using the Intelsat 17 Satellite and cable operators and DTH operators downlinking the programmes of this evangelical channel which is not having a license from Ministry of Information Broadcasting.

Only one channel named Harvest TV, Has a license from MIB

At present only one TV channel is having the name Harvest TV, which is supported by Congress leaders. There was a Christian evangelical channel in the name of Harvest TV, which changed its name to Shri Navgrah Channel. This channel is owned by Panchkula based company Sunny Entertainment House Pvt. Limited floated in July 2010, with Directors Sidharth Bhardwaj and Sudha Bhardwaj. Though started as a Christian TV channel, this company is now airing Hindu religious programmes, after the channel name changed from Harvest TV to Shri Navgrah Channel.

So what is Ministry of Information and Broadcasting doing?

The MIB’s list as of today (January 28, 2019) does not show the name of Kerala based Christian evangelical channel Harvest TV in the list of licensed Satellite TV Channels. Then how was it airing unhindered from 2013 on all DTH platforms and Cable TV operators? We have seen for many years Jehadi fugitive Zakir Naik’s Peace TV was aired without any MIB license till 2015. This shows that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not learned its lessons.

The MIB owes the nation an answer. They have been asleep at the wheel for five years and have allowed this illegal broadcast. They need to shut this down today and act against the promoters.

References:

[1] Congress leaders supported Harvest TV coming soon. Kapil Sibal & accused Chidambaram are the main supporters – Dec 16, 2018, PGurus.com