The federal cabinet has directed all the ministries to utilise free time available to government on private television and radio channels to launch mass awareness public service programs, official sources told Business Recorder.
The cabinet issued these directions to all the ministries at a recent meeting, when the issue of disseminating public service programs through electronic media came under discussion.
The cabinet was informed that section 20 of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Ordinance 2002 provided that, a broadcaster or cable television operator would broadcast programs in the public interest as specified by the federal government for a duration not exceeding 10 percent of the total duration of broadcast by a station in 24 hours.
Pemra rules, 2002, broadcasting regulations, television and FM radio licence terms and conditions, further laid down the guidelines regulating to the content, duration and frequency of such programs.