Raja FM suspended

COLOMBO: Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadharashana Yapa has suspended the radio broadcast of RAJA FM in accordance with the powers entrusted on him under the Societal Good Conduct Act. No. 37 of 1996.

This is after the Ministry received a large number of complaints from intellectuals, religious leaders, media personnel and society leaders that this channel of the Colombo Communication Pvt Ltd. broadcast anti social and extremely repulsive and vulgar material that could corrupt the society, specially the younger generation.

Colombo Communication Pvt. Ltd has been notified of this order. A special mention has been made about the programme Three hours with Sumali which contains sexually explicit, vulgar and indecent descriptions, the Government Information Department said in release yesterday.

The Mass Media and Information Ministry which monitored programmes of RAJA FM realised that the programmes were repulsive, indecent and vulgar and were contradictory to the accepted social norms and ethics of a civilised society. The Government believes that these radio programmes are aimed at destroying the social, cultural and moral values preserved for thousands of years in Sri Lanka.

It has been proved beyond doubt that these programmes are aimed at corrupting the young, specially the children and to harm the dignity of women.

The release said the Government has a responsibility to protect the people and social values in the country. The Government will not hesitate to take any action to protect the children from such evil designs and to safeguard the dignity of women in the country. Repeated requests to RAJA FM to immediately discontinue such vulgar and indecent programmes fell on deaf years.