ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) hasprohibited private Television Channels from airing programmes produced byforeign entities BBC, Voice of America (VOA) and Deutsche Welle (DW).
The prohibition orders have been forwarded to Express-News and AAJ TVthrough two separate letters, compelling the media franchises to take offthe programmes with immediate effect.
One of the letters stated that Express-News was broadcasting a programmetitled ‘DW Sawal’ produced by Deutsche Welle’, a Germany’s InternationalBroadcaster, without any approval of the media watchdog.
Moreover, instructions were issued to AAJ TV to avoid broadcast orre-broadcast of two programmes by foreign entities, titled ‘View 360’produced by Voice of America and ‘Sairbeen’ produced by BBC.
The authority said that the channels were airing the programmes unlawfullywithout any approval.
“Therefore, the competent authority in exercise of delegated powers of theauthority vested in Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended byPEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits broadcast or re-broadcast” ofthese programmes “with immediate effect”, the orders state.
The media regulator also warned that in case of non-compliance with theprohibition orders, the authority shall proceed against the said TVchannels under Section 30 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002.