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Licence for VoT under review
By Shanika Udawatte
The validity of the licence granted to the LTTE to broadcast the Voice of Tigers radio channel will be reviewed, the newly appointed Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Communication Tilak Ranaviraja told The Sunday Times yesterday.

Mr. Ranaviraja, who was recently appointed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga said the licence had been granted to broadcast only within a radius of 20 km but reports of the channel being operative within a much wider radius have been received.

"I have called for a report regarding this matter from the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and once the report is out we will refer the matter to the Ministry of Defence and decide what action is to be taken", Mr. Ranaviraja said.

SLBC Chairman Hudson Samarasinghe told The Sunday Times that the SLBC has the necessary equipment and facilities to determine whether the VoT is within the specified technical parameters of the licence agreement.

The LTTE made the request for a broadcasting licence in the latter half of last year. However the broadcasting equipment for the LTTE radio station had been imported before the licence was granted.

Meanwhile Mr. Ranaviraja said that no decision has been yet made about the request for a broadcasting licence made by the Dalada Maligawa authorities as there are other factors still awaiting consideration regarding the matter.

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