Code of ethics for cable operators issued
ISLAMABAD- Pakistan Electronic and Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued 28 licenses for establishing radio stations, while another 15 are in final stages and seven licenses of TV stations have been issued to the private sector.
This was stated by the PEMRA chairman Mian Mohammad Javed in a statement issued here on May 25, 2003. He said in just one year the authority had taken a number of measures to promote private sector in electronic media and now Pakistan was one of those countries where media was making rapid progress in private sector.
Mian Javed said the basic aim of the PEMRA was to deregulate, liberalize and promote electronic media. He said all the decisions of the PEMRA were taken independently and without any pressure. He said due to cultural invasion and with over 300 channels available directly in the country, the PEMRA had been playing vital role to protect national culture and heritage.
The PEMRA, he said, had issued a code of ethics to protect ideology and cultural values of Pakistan and committees of viewers had been formed to implement this code. He said the authority had been making efforts to monitor the performance of cable operators so that they could not misuse the technology.
He said the authority had been also working to create a system on the basis of Shaheen Pay TV to censor the programmes if they were against the code and cultural values of Pakistan and introducing direct to home (DTH) system to provide a bunch of channels according to Pakistan’s cultural values.
The authority, he added, had introduced latest technology in radio and TV and was also using internet to broadcast TV channels. Mian Javed said out of ten members of the authority, six were from private sector and the main emphasis was to promote private sector in association with citizens in decision making.
He said council of complaints being managed by private sector had been formed to ensure nobility, decency and upholding the ideology of the country in the private electronic media.
Referring to availability of radio and TV sets in Pakistan, he said, 1,000 persons had 88 radio sets and 60 TV sets in Pakistan while minimum international standard was 150 sets per 1,000 persons.
Highlighting importance of digital technology, he said, by 2010 all the electronic media in Pakistan would be totally converted into digital system. Referring to complaints about cross media ownership, he said it was internationally known system to avoid monopoly of any individual or group in the media.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/26/2003
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