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Electronic media policy soon, says Aziz

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the government will soon introduce a comprehensive electronic media policy, which will provide guidelines on local and foreign TV channels.

The prime minister said this while chairing a meeting to review the performance of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). Aziz said that Pakistan had an open media policy but the government could not allow programmes that were against the faith, culture and tradition of the country, said an official announcement.

Aziz told PEMRA chairman to regulate illegal TV channels and FM radio stations and ensure strict compliance with the code of conduct on the contents of transmissions. He also instructed PEMRA to simplify its procedures, lessen direct contact with clients and instead use technology and improved process to monitor illegal operations.

“PEMRA should have a lean structure. It should have mobile inspection teams and technology driven enforcement,” the prime minister said. He asked the authority make a policy for improving up-linking facilities to ensure better projection of the country globally.

The PEMAR chairman informed the meeting that the authority had closed 60 TV channels and 12 FM radio stations, which were operating illegally. He said PEMRA jurisdiction had been extended to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Northern Areas.

He said PEMRA had issued nine provisional FM Radio licenses to the earthquake-hit areas out of which seven were operational. The process for issuing license for satellite and terrestrial TV in AJK and the Northern Areas had also been initiated.

He said a policy for regulating in-house channels and advertisements on cable TV networks had been implemented and the new licensing policy and procedures had been finalised. He said that PEMRA had closed 713 illegal cable TV operations as well as a number of pornographic channels.

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