Church-initiated TV channel caught in bishop-laity tussle
An extraordinary general body meeting of Jeevan TV's shareholders on Monday decided to expel two Catholic bishops.
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An extraordinary general body meeting of Jeevan TV's shareholders on Monday decided to expel two Catholic bishops who hold the posts of chairperson and director, the Times of India newspaper reported yesterday.
The mass circulation daily quoted “official sources” to say that 99 percent of the shareholders had voted against the channel’s chairperson Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur and director retired Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of the same archdiocese.
The move was to revamp Jeevan (life) TV, and make it into the list of profit-making channels, said its managing director Baby Mathew Somatheeram.
Meanwhile, Save Jeevan TV Forum, an association formed by a section of shareholders, alleged the bishops were expelled in violation of the firm's bylaws.
Biju Kundukulam, a lawyer and an office bearer of the forum, says the channel’s bylaws stipulate that Trichur bishop should be the chairperson. However, some shareholders want to “hijack the channel, which was started by the Catholic Church,” he alleged.
He also said the shareholders took the decision to remove the prelates despite two local courts’ order to maintain status quo and refrain from any move to remove the prelates until the next hearing.
Refuting the claim, Somatheeram said the decision to expel the bishops from their posts would be implemented only after the court hearing scheduled today, November 14.
Meanwhile, director board members claimed both the bishops held no stakes in the TV channel, a public limited company. Majority of shareholders are businessmen.
The forum members announced that they would move the court against the director board after a shareholders' meet to be held in Thrissur next month.
Source: times of India
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