ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) onSunday released its Annual report for Financial Years 2015-18. Section 17of PEMRA (Amendment) Act-2007 ordains compilation and submission of anannual report for each financial year to the President of Pakistan and toarrange for its publication and circulation to the media and public, said apress release issued here.This report is a consolidated review of Authority’s performance during thefinancial years 2015-18.The President of Pakistan hailing PEMRA’s effort urged to make this reporta regular annual feature to keep abreast all stakeholders about regulatoryinitiatives and their micro & macro-economic impact on national landscape.President of Pakistan said that PEMRA’s vision should encapsulate futuretargets to be achieved and measures must be taken to build confidencebetween the regulator and stakeholders.The President stressed upon the Authority to take all necessary measuresunder the law for promotion of local art, culture, sports and education. Heurged that media through Public Service Messages and programs can play apivotal role in educating masses. The President also expressed that PEMRAand media to play its role in discouraging fake news.According to a survey given in the report, 65% of total viewers in Pakistanwatch cable TV, 25% are terrestrial viewers and 9% have access to mediathrough satellite dishes.The consolidated report reveals that PEMRA has so far issued 88 licencesfor indigenous satellite TV. Of this 37 licences are of entertainmentcategory, 26 news & current affairs, 18 regional category, four educationalTV, and one licence each for Health, Sports and Agro TV channel licenceshave been issued. Besides, 35 landing rights permissions have been issuedto off-shore channels. Similarly, 4,060 cable TV, six MMDS, four IPTV, fiveMobile TV and one mobile audio licences have been issued by PEMRA which arecontributing remarkably as catalyst of socio-political change in thesociety.The report states that new vistas have opened up for investment andemployment in the broadcast sector. To a safer estimate, this buoyantsector has observed cumulative investment of about US $ 7.0 billion indistinct forms and has created employment for more than 500,000 people ofdiversified qualification and skills. If this brisk process continued, itis estimated that the cumulative investment would enhance manifold by theyear 2019-20.Thus the direct and indirect employment would tend to increase. This growthhas paved for opportunities in allied businesses like production houses,advertising agencies, music and performing arts that unprecedented.On operational account, PEMRA report said that 618 show causes notices andwarnings were issued to TV channels for violating Code of Conduct 2015devised for the electronic media. As a punishment, 25 programs andadvertisements were banned, licences of 13 TV channels were suspended andfine worth Rs. 106.53 million was imposed.PEMRA inspected 18,494 cable TV networks during the period and 1,967systems were seized. Penalties worth Rs 13.656 million were imposed. Nearly80 foreign channels in various genre being run illegally on cable networkswere stopped.PEMRA enforcement teams in coordination with FIA and Customs intelligence,seized 11,651 illegal Indian DTH and C-Line apparatus in Pakistan, 386warehouse hoarding this illegal equipment were seized and FIRs wereregistered against13 smugglers indulged in illegal business.In this report substantiates that electronic media today has emerged as oneof the fastest growing and competitive sectors in Pakistan. It is presumedthat this report will provide insight to readers about PEMRA’s performance,initiatives, regulatory challenges and emerging trends & technologies inthe field of electronic media in Pakistan.
88 Satellite TV Licences, PEMRA claims 7 billion investment
