Tag: Pakistan electronic media regulatory authority

Notices to several Pak TV channels for ‘violations’

MUMBAI: Freedom of speech is being curtailed in the sub-continent. Media watchdog Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued show-cause notices to nine channels — Waqt TV, Ab Tak TV, Channel 5, 7 News, Aaj TV, Sach TV, Roze TV, News One and Capital TV — for airing ‘fake news’ between 8.00pm and 9.00pm on 22 March about a plane crash in Kallar Syedan near Rawalpindi. The channels have been asked to respond by 31 March.

PEMRA has also issued a notice to ARY News, a private channel, for airing “hate speech” against the country’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif asking it to respond by the same date. The regulator has the powers to ban the channel’s ‘offensive’ programme, cancel its operating licence and impose a fine of a million rupees.

Also, PEMRA issued a separate notice to Dawn News TV for failing to comply with its decision to suspend Zara Hat Kay talk show for three days. The host on 9 March had discussed a corruption case against Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui despite a case being sub-judice. This act of violating the Authority’s order is tantamount to willful defiance and the Authority has directed the channel’s management to explain within three days i.e. before or on 27 March before 4.00pm why it defied.

According to the ‘hate speech’ details, a guest speaker, who appeared on ‘The Reporter’, a programme on ARY on Thursday, termed a recent statement of Sharif as “blasphemous”.

PEMRA said it was a dangerous trend. The hosts of the programme neither intervened on this occasion nor stopped him from passing such comments, which was a violation of PEMRA Code of Conduct 2015.

In a separate case, PEMRA had informed the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) on 17 February to amend the advertisement of “Zong 4G” till 20 February before 6 pm; otherwise, PEMRA under Section 27 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007 shall prohibit the said advertisement forthwith.

March 25, 2017
PEMRA announces DTH licence bidders; Indian DTH eviction to continue

MUMBAI: The countdown has begun. Amidst protests from cable TV operators and even private broadcasters, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) earlier this week announced the shortlist of 12 companies which will be participating in the bidding for the first direct to home service (DTH) licences auction which is scheduled to take place on
23 November. The Pakistan government is on a drive to evict Indian channels, DTH services and content from its shores following the border skirmishes between the two countries over the past few months.

Among the firms which have got into the shortlist include: Lahore-based firms Orient Electronics and Mag Entertainment, Islamabad-based companies Skyflix, Smartimes Communications, Sardar Builders, Smart Sky, Parus Media and Broadcast, Naya Tel, Maestro Media Distribution, Shahzad Sky, and HB DTH and Karachi-based IQ Communications. This was revealed by PEMRA chairman Absar Alam.

Alam told reporters that the auction of three licences would be held through open competitive bidding.

Alam appeared unwavering in his intent to completely eliminate all Indian DTH services from Pakistan. The authority has been urging its ministry of defence to take action against residential and housing societies which continue to use Indian DTH services.

He also emphatically stated that Indian content stands banned in Pakistan, and there was no going back on the decision.

“A lobby seems to be working for ending the ban on airing of Indian content and dramas on Pakistani channel,” he informed Pakistani media on Monday. “But they will be unsuccessful in their conspiracy,” he said.

Alam probably was also referring to the petition filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association’s (PBA’s) petition filed in Pakistani courts against the ban. Around a dozen broadcasters took PEMRA to court late last month for issuing an order banning Indian content completely from Pakistan’s general entertainment channels.

Also read:

Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

November 16, 2016
PEMRA announces DTH licence bidders; Indian DTH eviction to continue

MUMBAI: The countdown has begun. Amidst protests from cable TV operators and even private broadcasters, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) earlier this week announced the shortlist of 12 companies which will be participating in the bidding for the first direct to home service (DTH) licences auction which is scheduled to take place on
23 November. The Pakistan government is on a drive to evict Indian channels, DTH services and content from its shores following the border skirmishes between the two countries over the past few months.

Among the firms which have got into the shortlist include: Lahore-based firms Orient Electronics and Mag Entertainment, Islamabad-based companies Skyflix, Smartimes Communications, Sardar Builders, Smart Sky, Parus Media and Broadcast, Naya Tel, Maestro Media Distribution, Shahzad Sky, and HB DTH and Karachi-based IQ Communications. This was revealed by PEMRA chairman Absar Alam.

Alam told reporters that the auction of three licences would be held through open competitive bidding.

Alam appeared unwavering in his intent to completely eliminate all Indian DTH services from Pakistan. The authority has been urging its ministry of defence to take action against residential and housing societies which continue to use Indian DTH services.

He also emphatically stated that Indian content stands banned in Pakistan, and there was no going back on the decision.

“A lobby seems to be working for ending the ban on airing of Indian content and dramas on Pakistani channel,” he informed Pakistani media on Monday. “But they will be unsuccessful in their conspiracy,” he said.

Alam probably was also referring to the petition filed by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association’s (PBA’s) petition filed in Pakistani courts against the ban. Around a dozen broadcasters took PEMRA to court late last month for issuing an order banning Indian content completely from Pakistan’s general entertainment channels.

Also read:

Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

November 16, 2016
PEMRA suspends ARY’s Nickelodeon licence for airing Indian content

MUMBAI: It wants to signal it means business. And, that it is not going to tolerate any laxity on its diktat to totally ban Indian content on television, radio and cinema in Pakistan. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) yesterday suspended the landing licence of Viacom TV channel Nickelodeon for airing animation shows dubbed in Hindi.

PEMRA made the announcement via a tweet from its twitter handle late last evening.

The channel is distributed in Pakistan via the Ary Digital Network which has its headquarters in Dubai. ARY runs a clutch of channels including ARY News, Zindagi, QTV, Muzik, Digital etc.

ARY is broadcast in several Asian countries through the services of Samacom’s uplinking earth station based in the UAE. The network has Mohammed Iqbal as its chairperson; Salman Iqbal being its president & CEO.

The authority had issued an order last month directing Pakistani channels to reduce Indian content to six per cent, and followed it up with another notice forcing them to reduce it to zero by 21 October. It has stated that those violating its order would face dire consequences, among which could include cancellation or suspension of downlinking (read: landing) and uplinking permissions that it grants.

A clutch of broadcasters under the Pakistan Broadcasters Association has been contemplating taking PEMRA to court for its hard stance on the Indian and foreign content issue.

Related stories:

Pakistan gets tough on Indian DTH & content

Pak bans Indian TV content, films from being screened

PEMRA Indian content ban to impact broadcasters

“Let India open its market, we will open ours” – PEMRA chairman Absar Alam

Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

November 1, 2016
PEMRA suspends ARY’s Nickelodeon licence for airing Indian content

MUMBAI: It wants to signal it means business. And, that it is not going to tolerate any laxity on its diktat to totally ban Indian content on television, radio and cinema in Pakistan. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) yesterday suspended the landing licence of Viacom TV channel Nickelodeon for airing animation shows dubbed in Hindi.

PEMRA made the announcement via a tweet from its twitter handle late last evening.

The channel is distributed in Pakistan via the Ary Digital Network which has its headquarters in Dubai. ARY runs a clutch of channels including ARY News, Zindagi, QTV, Muzik, Digital etc.

ARY is broadcast in several Asian countries through the services of Samacom’s uplinking earth station based in the UAE. The network has Mohammed Iqbal as its chairperson; Salman Iqbal being its president & CEO.

The authority had issued an order last month directing Pakistani channels to reduce Indian content to six per cent, and followed it up with another notice forcing them to reduce it to zero by 21 October. It has stated that those violating its order would face dire consequences, among which could include cancellation or suspension of downlinking (read: landing) and uplinking permissions that it grants.

A clutch of broadcasters under the Pakistan Broadcasters Association has been contemplating taking PEMRA to court for its hard stance on the Indian and foreign content issue.

Related stories:

Pakistan gets tough on Indian DTH & content

Pak bans Indian TV content, films from being screened

PEMRA Indian content ban to impact broadcasters

“Let India open its market, we will open ours” – PEMRA chairman Absar Alam

Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

November 1, 2016
Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

MUMBAI: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) shocked both Pakistan and Indian broadcasters when it issued an order blanking out all Indian content from Pakistan’s television channels on 19 October.

Close to Rs 150 crore of Indian content exports to Pakistan went up in smoke with that order. And, Indian broadcasters’ syndication and film distribution teams – including those from Zee TV, Viacom18, Sony Pictures Networks India, Star India, YRF, Dharma Productions, T-Series etc – were still reeling from the shock of the draconian diktat. As were Pakistan channel, FM radio and film distribution executives and theatre owners.

Apparently, the Pakistan media fraternity is not going let PEMRA have its way easily. The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) , the representative body of the TV channels and FM radio services is mulling taking legal recourse against PEMRA’s sudden order.

According to Pakistan industry sources, the PBA is likely to take PEMRA to court, objecting to its arbitrary decision.

Says a senior Pakistan TV channel executive: “The current limitation of 10 per cent international and six per cent Indian content was done through an act of Parliament. PEMRA is overstepping its brief by promulgating its new order. It has no business doing so. For us to follow it, the new order has to be passed by the government when the parliament is in session. Hence, we will approach the court for succor.”

However, observers are not sure if Pakistan’s courts will go against PEMRA’s order. On a previous occasion, in 2013, a high court judge had supported the complete ban on Indian content entering the country and passed an order to that effect.

Broadcasters meanwhile acknowledge that content trade between India and Pakistan was tilted towards India. “But, in recent times, Indian broadcasters have started acquiring more Pakistani content. And over time we had hoped that the Indo-Pak content trade would be equally split in revenue terms between the two countries. Now we don’t know how much of a setback it will be to our plans to export more to India,” says a Pakistan broadcast television executive..

ALSO READ :

PEMRA Indian content ban to impact broadcasters

October 21, 2016
Pakistan Broadcasters Association to oppose PEMRA Indian content ban

MUMBAI: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) shocked both Pakistan and Indian broadcasters when it issued an order blanking out all Indian content from Pakistan’s television channels on 19 October.

Close to Rs 150 crore of Indian content exports to Pakistan went up in smoke with that order. And, Indian broadcasters’ syndication and film distribution teams – including those from Zee TV, Viacom18, Sony Pictures Networks India, Star India, YRF, Dharma Productions, T-Series etc – were still reeling from the shock of the draconian diktat. As were Pakistan channel, FM radio and film distribution executives and theatre owners.

Apparently, the Pakistan media fraternity is not going let PEMRA have its way easily. The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) , the representative body of the TV channels and FM radio services is mulling taking legal recourse against PEMRA’s sudden order.

According to Pakistan industry sources, the PBA is likely to take PEMRA to court, objecting to its arbitrary decision.

Says a senior Pakistan TV channel executive: “The current limitation of 10 per cent international and six per cent Indian content was done through an act of Parliament. PEMRA is overstepping its brief by promulgating its new order. It has no business doing so. For us to follow it, the new order has to be passed by the government when the parliament is in session. Hence, we will approach the court for succor.”

However, observers are not sure if Pakistan’s courts will go against PEMRA’s order. On a previous occasion, in 2013, a high court judge had supported the complete ban on Indian content entering the country and passed an order to that effect.

Broadcasters meanwhile acknowledge that content trade between India and Pakistan was tilted towards India. “But, in recent times, Indian broadcasters have started acquiring more Pakistani content. And over time we had hoped that the Indo-Pak content trade would be equally split in revenue terms between the two countries. Now we don’t know how much of a setback it will be to our plans to export more to India,” says a Pakistan broadcast television executive..

ALSO READ :

PEMRA Indian content ban to impact broadcasters

October 21, 2016