Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Iftikhar Rashid has said that in the past fifty years, there was no national media policy in the country; hence satellite channels and radio station were operating in the absence of rules and regulation.
He expressed these views while addressing newsmen in 'Meet the Press' at Lahore Press Club here on Monday. He further said that after the set up of Pemra, the code of conduct for cable-operators was formulated, which was playing a vital role in providing decent and clean entertainment. "In the past, Pemra was working under the supervision of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, but now it has become an autonomous body, which has made Pemra more effective to perform its duties to the satisfaction to common people and cable-operators," he added.
According to him, at the time when he took charge of Pemra, only 25 cable-operators were license-holders while 65 were operating illegally. Moreover, in his tenure 47 satellite channels have been regularised, 12 were given licenses, 35 were granted landing rights and three were given up-linking facility, while 33 were off aired.
The Chairman averred that Pemra has no intention of banning any channel, however, they would not tolerate violations of Pemra rules and regulations, and warned that the violator would be dealt with iron hand.
He told the newsmen that, recently Pemra had to ban a FM radio station that was airing BBC news bulletin illegally. "At the end of this year, FM radio stations would be set up in every district of the country, which would promote local culture. Moreover, six new radio stations in Azad Kashmir and two in the Northern areas had been set up already," he said.
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