Govt to launch 25 new television channels

ISLAMABAD, August 29 (Online): Federal Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Thursday said that the government was going to launch some twenty-five new Television channels to meet the emerging challenges of media in the future.

Speaking at a Seminar concerning development of electronic media in Pakistan, he said the authorities had curtailed the license fee from 5 million to 2.5 million while the fee for cable operators had been reduced to 10 thousands from 50 thousands.

The Minister said the government would give a grant worth 1 billion to help improve the progress of Pakistan Television and termed the government's step of issuing of licences for establishment of private and state channels as appropriate.

Rashid said the government had already extended some 420 million rupees to PTV to help improve the quality of its programmes, saying about 13 channels were in the pipeline.

He added that the government would accept all the demands of cable operators but it would not allow them to air Indian channels.

The Minister said that Azad Jammu Kashmir TV channel would be launched on February 5.

Criticising the overall performance of radio, he said the licenses of the radio stations not performing well would be cancelled, adding that only those extending quality service in the media would survive.

"The government wants to let people of remote areas have an access to T.V programmes," he said

On closure of Indian channels the Minister said that Pakistan had not closed the channels rather they had been banned by India itself, however he added that "we don't want Indian channels to unleash vulgarity and obscenity through their programmes rather government would only permit those channels to operate producing such programmes which could be jointly viewed by all members of the family.

He said Pakistan television would air entertainment programmes as well, adding that Media City Report was underway.

"The government wants to give full play to the private channels so that their professional competence and expertise could come to the fore."

He said there was competition of investment in the world adding that the investment could be made in electronic media, which, he said, would help government curb spiralling unemployment.

Referring to the meeting Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) he said the matter of launching diG**al T.V channel of Islamic countries was discussed.

"Indian channels do not want to lose viewership of 14 million Pakistani people, but we would not put our national identity at stake at any cost," he vowed.

The Minister said that at present there was need of some 25 T.V channels and at least 100 radio stations in the country.

Speaking on the occasion Chairman PEMRA Mian Muhammad Javed said the present age was that of communication, adding that it was imperative that the country made progress in the electronic media.

He added that PEMRA had boiled the Satellite licensing fee down from 5 million to 3 millions.