Daily Times

ISLAMABAD – PakistanElectronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) – inits fresh advice – hasasked all TV channels to immediately stop rampant un-ethical and indecent content, programmes and songs being aired on private channels.

The advice has been issued in pursuance to directives of Senate’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage to PEMRA on July 3, 2015.PEMRA has also raised serious concerns on excessive religious consumerism and commercial type programmes aired during the month of Ramazan.

According to PEMRA, such programmes were not only lamented by the legislators but also by large number of public who have generally viewed these kinds of programmes against the norms and sanctity of the holy month. Therefore, the authority has directed all TV channels not to telecast;

1 – Excessiveforeign content beyond permissible limit of 10% in violation of Regulation 18(1)(a) of PEMRA (Television Broadcast Station Operations) regulations-2012,

2 – Excessivecommercials exceeding limit of 12 minutes per hour in violation of Rule 15 (3) of PEMRA Rules 2009,

3 – Programmespromoting religious consumerism particularly hurting sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan in sheer disregard to Section 20 of PEMRA Act 2007 and the Code of Conduct,

4 – Sporadicsongs/clips being aired in every bulletin and news in the garb of entertainment news in violation of Code of Conduct for programmes and,

5 – Programmesand commercials containing indecent and objectionable clips etc.

6 – Programmeson re-enactment and dramatization of crimes.

– Healthyprogrammes for children–

Moreover, the authority hasadvised the TV channels to telecast national anthem before the start of every day transmission as also being practiced in neighbouring countries to promote patriotism. PEMRA has also asked TV channels to develop healthy programmes for the children as there was no serious focus on children programming and only couple of foreign channels are presently catering to this need.