News
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
PEMRA cancels 6 TV channel licences
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), in its 70th
meeting held on Monday at its headquarters in Islamabad, approved cancellation of six TV channel’s licences.
Licences of four TV channels, Mirror TV, AAJ Entertainment, Geo English and Roze TV, were cancelled as they failed to launch their transmission / operations. Under licence terms and conditions, a channel is required to be operational within one year from the award of license failing to which the license automatically stands cancelled.
However, keeping a magnanimous view, the authority amid request of these channels had offered them extension for another one year to get themselves operational which also lapsed. Since, they failed to launch transmission despite relaxations, the authority had no other option except to cancel their licences.
Besides, licenses of ZAM TV and Info TV were cancelled on account of their uninformed suspension of broadcast without any cogent reason or intimation to the authority which is a violation of Section 28 of PEMRA Amendment Act 2007.
PEMRA also approved issuing one non-commercial FM radio to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for Karachi to impart information and awareness for passengers as well as the general public on air traffic, flights info, air safety, passenger safety and rules etc.
The authority also approved application of one news channel to convert its logo from “Channel-5” to “News-5” subject to imposition of token penalty of Rs 0.2 million as the channel had changed the logo prior to seeking approval from the authority in disconformity of licence terms and conditions.
A number of other policy issues pertaining to regulatory framework of electronic media in country were discussed in detail, including the revision in Distribution Services Regulations which the authority felt needed drastic modification as technologies have witnessed absolute shift over a period of time. PEMRA members asked for amending outmoded regulations in line with best suited international and regional practices.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk