Media owners barred from private TV, radio channels
ISLAMABAD- Non-Pakistanis and Pakistanis who own a newspaper or magazine or run a radio, television or cable network or an advertising agency will not be given a license to run a private television, radio or cable channel. To run a private television or radio channel, the eligible operator will not only have to obtain a license from the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) but also permission from the government of the province where the channel is to be operated.
The PEMRA will also forward the application for a license to the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) to ascertain whether the wanted frequency is available, suitable for the system and conforms to the required criteria, officials told sources. A license will be awarded only if PEMRA is satisfied about the applicant’s economic viability, technical competence, financial capability, credibility, track record, Pakistani ownership, prospects of technical progress and introduction of new technology, market advancement such as improved service features, contribution to universal service objectives and other social and economic development objectives.
A licensee would not be allowed to merge or amalgamate his channel with another’s without the prior approval of the PEMRA, official said. A person who is the shareholder of a company that holds a channel license will be barred from transferring or disposing of his shares without prior approval.
According to the code of conduct for a licence holder, no programme will be aired that:
a) Passes derogatory remarks about any religion or sect or community or uses visuals or words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which promotes communal and sectarian attitudes or disharmony.
b) Contains anything pornographic, obscene or indecent or is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality.
c) Contains an abusive comment that, when taken in context, tends to or is likely to expose an individual or a group or class of individuals to hatred or contempt on the basis of race or caste, national, ethnic or linguistic origin, colour or religion or sect, sex, sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability.
d) Contains anything defamatory or knowingly false.
e) Is likely to encourage and incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national or anti-state attitudes.
f) Contains anything amounting to contempt of court.
g) Contains aspersions against the judiciary and integrity of the armed forces.
h) Maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country.
i) Is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners.
j) Brings into contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its integrity or solidarity as an independent and sovereign country.
k) Promotes, aids or abets any offence cognisable under the Pakistan Penal Code.
l) Denigrates men or women through the depiction in any manner of the figure, in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent or derogatory.
m) Denigrates children.
n) Contains anything that tends to glorify crime or criminals.
o) Contains material detrimental to Pakistan’s relations with friendly countries.
While reporting the proceedings of the parliament or provincial assemblies, such portion of the proceedings as the chairman or the speaker may have ordered to be expunged, will not be broadcast and a fair account of the proceedings broadcast.
A license holder will also be required to maintain a record and register of programmes broadcast by him and preserve the programmes on audio and video at least 30 days. The duration of an advertising break in any private TV, radio or cable channel will not be more than three minutes continuously and there must be at least 15-minute regular programme duration between successive advertisement breaks.
Advertisements aired or distributed by a broadcast or cable TV station will be designed in such a manner that it conforms with national laws and is not offensive to morality, decency and religious feelings or religious sects of the people of Pakistan.
No advertisements will be permitted which:
a) Promotes or supports sedition, anarchy or violence in the country.
b) Is against any provisions of the Constitution or any other law in force.
c) Tends to incite people to crime, cause disorder or violence or breach of law or glorifies violence or obscenity in any way.
d) Glorifies adultery, lustful passions or alcoholic drinks or non-Islamic values.
e) Distorts historical facts, traditions of Pakistan or the person or personality of a national leader or a state dignitary.
f) Fans racial, sectarian, parochial, regional or class hatred.
g) Promotes social inequality, militates against concepts of human dignity and labour.
h) Is directed against sanctity of home, family and marriage.
i) Is wholly or mainly of a religious or political nature.
j) Contains references likely to lead the public to infer that the product advertised or any of its ingredients has some special property or quality which is incapable of being established.
k) Contains indecent, vulgar, or offensive themes or treatment.
l) Goods or services advertised shall not suffer from any defects harmful to health. Misleading claims about the goods shall not be made.
m) No advertisement likely to be seen by children in large numbers should urge them directly to purchase goods of a particular brand or ask their parents to do so. n) Advertisements must be clearly distinguishable and separate from the programmes and not in any manner take the form of news or documentary.
Source: The News
Date:7/27/2002
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