Media Regulatory Authority issues notices to foreign channels unauthorised satellite uplinking
On May 6, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued notices to nine foreign channels for illegal up-linking of live news coverage and asking them to explain their position on airing news from Abbottabad, without lawful authority. Abbottabad, a city of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been a focal point for global and local broadcasters since the United States operation on May 2, 2011 which killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a raid at the compound in which he had been living.
According to press reports, the notices were served on Fox News, NBC News, Cable News Network (CNN), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), CNS News, IBN, Al-Jazeera TV, Voice of America (VOA) and Sky TV for violating the PEMRA Act. All these foreign channels were told to stop unauthorised uplinking immediately.
Wakeel Khan, General Manager (Technical) under whose signature the notices were issued told Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) that foreign channels were violating Section 31 of the PEMRA Act 2007. As per section 31 of PEMRA Act any foreign channel must seek prior permission for temporary uplink in order to directly air an event or incident from Pakistan. The authority may issue permission in writing to any party to carry out temporary up-linking (facility) from a ground transmission facility to a satellite to transmit any event live from Pakistan for a specific period of time.
Khan further said that CNN, NBC News, CNS News and VOA have applied for temporary up-linking facility. PEMRA is working out on their request and will respond soon.
Haroon Rasheed, Editor of BBC Pakistan told PPF that they had still not received the PEMRA notice. He said they have not received any direction from BBC London to suspend the transmission so they are continuing transmission as per routine.
Pakistan Federal Information Minister Firdous Aashiq Awan said the suspension was temporary and an inquiry had been launched to ascertain why the foreign channels were using uplinking facilities without prior mandatory permission from the PEMRA. She further said that the immediate suspension of signals of these international news channels has been made to uphold PEMRA rules.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the issuance of notices and urged the Pakistani government to immediately rescind its decision disallowing foreign broadcasters to do live transmissions from Abbottabad.
Source: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
Date:5/9/2011
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