=> ISLAMABAD: Nearly all private television channels
ISLAMABAD: Nearly all private television channels blacked out last month by President Pervez Musharraf’s emergency decree are back on the air. But Pakistan’s once thriving television news media remain largely muzzled by a sweeping new “code of conduct” that journalists and Western diplomats say stifles criticism of the government.
After the blackout cost leading channels tens of millions of dollars in lost advertising revenues, owners of all but one channel agreed to stop broadcasting the top-rated political talk shows and signed the government-mandated guidelines.
Under new laws, unilaterally enacted by Musharraf, journalists face up to three years in jail for broadcasting “anything that defames or brings into ridicule the head of state” and other restrictions. The laws will remain after Musharraf ends the state of emergency, which he has promised to do Saturday.
“He’s getting away with it, really, because the Western support is there again,” said Talat Hussain, a popular talk show host whose program is no longer aired on Aaj or Today television. “There isn’t enough pressure.”
Western and Pakistani observers say Musharraf has reversed one of his greatest achievements: the creation of a vibrant independent news media. His crackdown has deadened private television and radio outlets that were widely seen as increasing political awareness, educating a largely illiterate population and curbing the spread of militancy.
“The level of self-censorship is very, very high,” said a Western diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Everybody’s got the orders.”
Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, chief executive of Jang Group, the largest media company in Pakistan, said he had rebuffed government requests that he fire two popular television talk show hosts on the Geo news network and three investigative reporters from The News newspaper. He has refused to sign the code of conduct and Geo remains the only major news network that the government has not allowed back on air.
“We are not accepting their main demands of terminating a few people,” he said, adding that the code of conduct was “absolutely illegal and arbitrary.”
The acting minister of information, Nisar Memon, said that Geo was off the air because it had not signed the code. The only restrictions the government insisted on, he said, were not airing gory pictures of suicide-bombing victims that could adversely affect public morale and turn terrorists into heroes.
“The ball is in their court,” he said.
Strains between Musharraf and media organizations emerged this spring during the political and legal fight over the president’s suspension of Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Extensive coverage of opposition lawyers and political rallies, as well as live broadcasts of Chaudhry’s speeches, angered government officials. They accused the independent media of becoming an opposition mouthpiece, indulging in sensationalism and airing insults to the military.
Days before the court was expected to declare Musharraf ineligible for a third term, the president declared emergency rule last month, suspended the Constitution, fired the Supreme Court and blocked all independent news broadcasts. TV journalists concede that they had gone too far in some of their coverage but said the government had overreacted. Since the Nov. 3 state of emergency, journalists – both from the print and electronic media – have staged rallies along with lawyers and human rights activists and have clashed with police.
In recent weeks, they have grown increasingly angry with U.S. and European officials whom they accuse of accepting Musharraf’s claim that the crackdown is ending. After the state of emergency formally ends, they said, Musharraf will use his sweeping new powers to intimidate the media and rig national elections scheduled for Jan. 8.
Many journalists remain defiant and vow to uncover electoral irregularities. Despite government threats, some newspapers have produced aggressive coverage of the crackdown and scathing editorials. They say the independent media can curb endemic corruption in Pakistani politics and society.
Since Musharraf allowed independent channels to air on cable television in 2002, more than a dozen private networks have opened. The stations are beehives of activity where Pakistanis push cultural norms and express views rarely heard on state-run television. Politics, culture and relationships are avidly discussed on call-in shows. Conservative and moderate religious leaders debate Islamic fundamentalism. Political talk shows have become the highest-rated programs in the country.
Geo, which means “live,” is believed to be the most popular cable channel in Pakistan. Two years ago, Business Week magazine named Rahman one of Asia’s top 25 innovators. Today, he is Musharraf’s top media target.
The government’s main leverage, Rahman said, has been financial. When he blacked out news channels last month, Musharraf also suspended the broadcast of three Geo entertainment and sports channels, which carry no news but are major sources of revenue. Rahman estimates that he has so far lost $17 million to $18 million in ad revenue.
Television journalists say owners of other private television networks have gradually yielded to government pressure and stopped broadcasting critical talk shows.
“News is not being covered objectively but according to the wishes of the government,” said Kashif Abbasi, whose popular talk show no longer airs on the ARY One World channel. “There is vigorous self-censorship after strong words from the government.”
Syed Anwar Mehmood, secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, denied that the government was pressing television channels, especially Geo, to lay off talk show hosts who were critical of the government.
“Absolute trash,” Mehmood said. “It is up to the channels and their owners to decide when these talk shows go back on air. Maybe they are having a breather.”
Source: International Herald Tribune
Date:12/10/2007
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