Director of programmes Vipula Ratnasiri, said to be behind the creation of the crisis situation, and general manager Wijesinghe, have returned to their jobs.

They are getting the support of deputy general manager Lalith Samaraweera in their scheming, ITN sources say.

The trio is planning to give opportunities to tele drama directors who had enjoyed the monopoly during the Rajapaksa regime, and is trying to curtail other selected tele dramas by citing various reasons.

ITN working director Dhanushka Ramanayake, who is a former employee of Raigam Group and is close to minister Champika Ranawaka, was behind their interdiction.

But, following his antagonism with chairman Hemasiri Fernando, the interdiction did not work out and they had been given their jobs back.

Fernando has however promised the tele drama producers who had been unfairly treated in the past that none of them would be included in the committee that selects tele dramas for telecast over ITN.