MUMBAI: Comedy Central, the English general entertainment channel (GEC) from the Viacom18 Group, which was asked by the Delhi Court  to go off air for six days, beginning from  26 November 2014, for airing objectionable content, has found  reprieve from the Supreme Court. The court has stayed the previous order of the high court, which means the channel can be telecast again this evening.

Welcoming the court’s decision, Viacom18 Media group general Counsel Sujeet Jain says, “The Hon. Supreme Court today stayed the order on the suspension of the channel, Comedy Central. We are happy to announce that the channel will resume broadcast this evening.”

The previous order had come in wake of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) finding two of the channels shows, Popcorn and Stand Up Club which were telecast in 2012 having objectionable content. The shows “were not suitable for unrestricted public exhibition and children as the same depicted women as a commodity of sex and appeared to deprave, corrupt and injure the public morality and morals,” it was observed.

The apex court, while staying that decision has also issued a notice to the Centre on a petition by Viacom 18, challenging provisions of the law that allow the MIB to take action against TV channels. 

A channel spokesperson previously said in a statement that it was evaluating all the options available to them during which it approached the SC. It argued that the decision would cause "irreparable loss and damage" to the channel and claimed transmission was its fundamental right.

The High Court had also fined the channel Rs 20,000 which was imposed by the centre.