The Ministry of Mass Media has granted temporary licenses to television channels, and the licenses are subject to conditions, says Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.
Although it is common practice to send a letter to a television channel requesting it to rectify a violation of the conditions, the Minister also said that in such a case, the Minister of Mass Media has the power to revoke the license of the relevant television channel if the violation of the conditions is repeated.
He said this while addressing the ”Health Communicators Appreciation Ceremony” organized by the Health Promotion Bureau to recognize the efforts of journalists who have worked to promote health knowledge and disseminate health information among the people of this country.
Expressing further views, the Minister said the following.
“This is not a game. You have to work with the trust of the people, the frequencies available in this space, etc. If necessary, you can report the news like Sadiris Gurunnassa brought the Nadagam box from Ambalangoda to Colombo. You cannot report news like that. These are not things done as a joke or a game. We are not prepared to take this as such a joke or a game.
All these television channels in our country have been granted licenses by the Ministry of Mass Media. That license has been granted temporarily. There are several conditions when that license is granted. If news harmful to public health is broadcast, the Minister of Mass Media has the power to recall it. National security has been imposed. It is said about the national economy, it is also said about public health.
Therefore, if someone from here on out spreads distorted news about public health, what we are currently doing is sending a letter and asking them to correct it. “Only. It is imperative that the conditions set out in the granting of this license are enforced. Without that, a country cannot move forward. That must be done. If the people’s trust in health is destroyed, nothing can be done beyond that.”