Ratings of TV channels: Ministry to finalise working paper soon, Senate body told

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the ministry will finalise the working paper for parliamentary monitoring of private television channels' ratings within the next two months. She said this while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage here on Monday, which was held under the chairmanship of Senator Kamil Ali Agha.
The committee directed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to go ahead with its plan of launching Direct to Home (DTH) television service. Aurangzeb said that PEMRA being a regulator has no control over rating system, adding that regional practices would be followed in this regard. She said that her ministry would present a working paper over the issue within the next two months.
Agha asked the PEMRA to take serious notice of immoral and controversial broadcast of immoral and controversial advertisements in media. Agha and other members assured PEMRA of their all-out support in launching DTH technology in the country. The committee proposed to PEMRA to form a mechanism of reliable rating system as present system was not satisfactory.
Briefing the meeting, Chairman PEMRA Absar Alam said the regulator has no direct link with the TV ratings and it is a concern of Pakistan Broadcasting Association (PBA) and Pakistan Advertisers Association. Alam said that PEMRA the other day held successful talks with cable operators and decided that Pakistani DTH would be launched by November next year to give time to cable operators to upgrade their systems.
He added that after the government's decision to launch DTH system in Pakistan, cable operators have announced shutdown of cable. Replying to a question about opposition to the launch of DTH in the country by cable operators, Alam said that they have no problem with running illegal Indian DTH and are demanding an end to ban on Indian contents. But cable operators were demanding the PEMRA to abolish the launch of DTH, which was strange.
Alam said according to rules, all TV channels are bound to make editorial committees functional to ensure self-accountability. He lamented that some of the TV anchorpersons are not following the decisions of their respective editorial committees.
He said that the PEMRA has taken concrete steps to stop Indian contents and movies on the cable. The Chairman committee said that panel appreciates the steps taken by the regulator in the national interest. He said that PEMRA is taking necessary action against the violators across the board. However, he said, sometimes the violators take stay order from the high courts by hiring services of senior legal counsel, which PEMRA could not afford due to lack of required funds. The committee asked PEMRA to formally write to Ministry of IB&NH for increasing funds for legal branch, and the committee would support it in the matter.
The Minister assured the committee that her ministry would resolve the matters regarding the missing draft document of code of conduct for electronic media prepared by Senate panel in consultation with all stakeholders.
About the issue of broadcast of indecent programmes during Ramazan, Absar sought two months time for presentation of a report regarding his organisation's future line of action. On the issue of payment of pensions to LoK Virsa employees, the committee issued directives to treat the matter on humanitarian grounds. It said that two secretaries of IB&NH in the past had promised to solve the problem, but unfortunately nothing was done.
The minister said that steps are being taken to implement the committee's directives, adding that in Lok Virsa there is no formal CP fund and only a local informal fund was created by the Lok Virsa management while for launch of formal fund, the AGPR's approval will have to be taken.
Senator Karim Khawaja said that some television channels are involved in deliberate character assassination of politicians. Nehal Hashmi pointed out that under a conspiracy, morality of new generation is being destroyed through various television advertisements. The committee asked PEMRA to take action against such advertisements.
Aurangzeb informed the committee that Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) is being activated to engage children and youth. She said that private sector is being involved for educating the new generation in arts, culture and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at PNCA. Moreover, special programmes will be arranged at PNCA on the occasion of birth anniversary of Qauid-e-Azam. She said under the short-term plans, the PNCA Art and Children Clubs are being set up and cultural curriculum is being prepared.
Under the long-term plan, National Film Academy and music academies would be set up and Islamabad Film Festival would be organised. On the issue of harassment of female PTV anchors, the committee recommended that steps should be taken to make the culprit an example so that nobody should even think of victimising women colleagues at workplace.
Aurangzeb said the accused has gone to challenge the Ombudsman's decision and she will write a letter to the President to request him to expedite the process. She said the accused, Athar Buttar, has been made an OSD and the decision of his transfer to PTV Academy was wrong. She said there is zero tolerance for harassment at work place as the government believes in giving more opportunities to women.