Akaal Channel becomes latest UK broadcaster to air Shabad Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib
Akaal Channel has become the latest broadcaster to begin airing daily Shabad Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib, adding further complexity to the ongoing dispute over rights to relay the sacred content.
PTC Punjabi has historically been the sole authorised broadcaster of Gurbani from the Golden Temple. Earlier this month, GTC Punjabi broke from that precedent by commencing its own telecast sourced from SGPC’s digital stream, prompting the SGPC to challenge the relay as unauthorised and to take the matter to court.
GTC Punjabi has argued that it is relaying the publicly available SGPC feed to widen access for devotees and has told the court that the broadcast is non‑commercial and intended as a public service. The court has permitted GTC Punjabi to continue airing the feed until the next hearing at the end of the month.
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In recent days, two UK‑based broadcasters – Panjab Broadcasting Channel and Akaal Channel, have also begun transmitting morning and evening Gurbani coverage. Both are understood to be taking the feed directly from SGPC’s digital platforms. The SGPC has not yet issued a formal response to their decision.
With PTC Punjabi, GTC Punjabi, Panjab Broadcasting Channel and Akaal Channel now all broadcasting Gurbani, the number of channels relaying the sacred content has risen to four. The development is expected to intensify scrutiny of SGPC’s broadcast policy and how it intends to enforce authorisation in the current landscape.
