NEW DELHI: Star may have decided to play it down where Star News and its proposed DTH venture were concerned, but on the Radio City, its ally, Music Broadcast Pvt. Ltd. (MBPL) front the Rupert Murdoch broadcaster is maintaining a strident posture.

According to Indian government sources, MBPL has sought more legal help and got a restraint order yesterday from the Mumbai high court that the government cannot force it to give information about Digi Wave, a Star India subsidiary, with which the FM radio licence holder has an agreement for marketing, ad sales and content.

Radio City is the brand name under which licence holder MBPL operates private FM radio stations in Lucknow, Delhi and Mumbai. Radio Citys operations had been brought under the scanner as the government thinks that it is Star that actually controls Radio Citys operations and the licence holder has outsourced most critical functions of the operation.

As per information available with indiantelevision.com, the latest move by MBPL is to protect itself from being deprived of the licence. Its plea before the court has been that the government would not force it to give information about Digi Wave and if the government really needs information regarding the company, it should be obtained directly from the company concerned..

"The government is studying its legal standing, an official of the information and broadcasting ministry said after telling journalists that MBPL has got itself further legal protection on being quizzed by the government on various aspects Radio City, including the loan extended by Digi Wave to MBPL.