Pemra bill passage welcomed
KARACHI (February 24 2007): The Board of Directors of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), at a meeting held in Karachi, welcomed the passage of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Amendment Bill by National Assembly as a positive step forward.
The meeting, presided (over) by PBA Chairman Shakil ur Rahman, noted that after much delay the legislature had passed this bill which would play a pertinent role in augmenting the media industry in Pakistan.
The PBA Secretary General, Arshad A Zuberi, said that certain vital amendments, proposed by PBA in the Pemra amendment bill, could not be incorporated, under the rules of business, as they related to clauses which were not open for discussions.
And, only the clauses in which the government had sought changes had been amended, accommodating the viewpoint of PBA. The meeting reminded Pemra of the directive of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz at a meeting held with the PBA delegation at PM House in Islamabad last year, that once the bill was adopted, necessary amendments in the rules and regulations would be undertaken after consultation with PBA.
Earlier, the meeting accorded a warm welcome to Salman Iqbal of ARY Digital on his return to PBA by all board members. Shakil-ur-Rahman commended Salman Iqbal’s decision to continue as Senior Vice Chairman as this would certainly add to potency of PBA as a sole body of all broadcast houses. The meeting reviewed the progress of PBA’S accreditation system for advertising agencies and media buying houses.
The members finalised proposals to further strengthen and streamline the clearance system to enable the PBA-accredited agencies/media buying houses in timely collection of dues from their clients.
PBA Board of Directors resolved to join Cable and Broadcasters Association of Asia (CASBAA) as Patron Member after Joint Secretary Duraid Qureshi made a presentation regarding his meeting with Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of the Association, and his colleagues in Hong Kong last week.
CASBAA is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to promotion of multi-channel television via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 110 Asia-based corporations.
The meeting was attended by Shakil-ur-Rahman (Geo TV), Salman Iqbal (ARY Digital), Ghazanfar Ali (Indus Vision), Arshad A. Zuberi (Aaj TV), Aslam Kazi (KTN), Duraid Qureshi (Hum TV), Manzoor Qureshi (PTV), Omar Ahmad (TV One), and Jamil Syed, Executive Director, PBA.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:2/24/2007
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