Secretary Information and Broadcasting Shahid Rafi said on Saturday that preparation of new Media Policy was in final stages and it would be announced soon.
In his address to the participants of a two-week capacity building course for Information Group officers at Information Service Academy (ISA) the Secretary Information said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was playing its due role for ensuring press freedom as envisaged by the Constitution.
He said that the ministry was also playing an important role to ensure that the masses get access to information. The Secretary Information told the course participants that the Ministry has played the role of a catalyst in rapidly growing media industry in the country. He said that there are 3,700 registered publications in the country out of which 551 are dailies.
He said that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has issued licenses to 83 FM radio stations out of which 35 have started operations. Similarly it has issued licenses to 16 satellite TV channels out of which 12 channels have already become operational.
He said that the ministry has played a key role in promoting the positive image of the country at the international level. Shahid Rafi said after the last year's earthquake the ministry facilitated hundreds of foreign journalists to visit the disaster zone. He also referred to the Donors conference held last year when the Ministry facilitated a large number of foreign journalists during their stay here. He said with the growth of information industry, there was dire need of trained and professional persons. Keeping this aspect in mind the ministry has planned to set up a Media University in Islamabad, he added.
Shahid Rafi said that the government wants the media industry to utilise latest technological equipment in both print and electronic media. Earlier Director General Information Service Academy (ISA) Ghulam Hazoor Bajwa in his welcome address threw light on the aims and objectives of the course.
He hoped that the participants of the course would benefit from the contents of the course, which will improve their skills for discharging their duties more effectively.
During the course the participants were given intensive professional training related to the field of print and electronic media. In the end the Secretary Information distributed certificates among the participants.
Comments
Comments are closed.