NEW DELHI: The Cable Operators Federation of India has rejected the charges of the News Broadcasters Association about stoppage of news television channels, saying that this was being done either by the multi-system operators at their end or under pressure from centre or state governments.

COFI President Roop Sharma told indiantelevision.com that she has written to NBA, pointing out that channels were blacked out by MSOs either on their own or under instructions from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for showing objectionable matter.

Similarly, she said some state governments put pressure on the MSOs or cable operators to black out certain channels.

Sharma is reported to have given specific examples of blacking out of certain channels in some states.

The NBA had yesterday asked the government to take action against erring cable operators, ‘anguished by frequent arbitrary action of cable operators to switch off cable without assigning any reason‘.

The NBA had condemned ‘such illegal and arbitrary actions by cable operators or the powers that be‘. It had described this as a direct attack on the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.