Foreign serials: Court issues notice to PEMRA, others
Petitioner claims TV channel was airing 80-90% foreign content.
PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
A two-member bench of Sindh High Court, headed by Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai, hearing a petition filed by the Independent Media Corporation has issued notices to the country’s electronic media regulator along with other respondents.
The complainant has made Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and a television channel company, Horizon, respondents in the petition.
The complainant maintains that Pemra has allowed Pakistani channels to air only up to 10% foreign content, however, the said TV channel was airing 80-90% foreign content.
Pemra has failed in its mandate to regulate the electronic media and take notice of excess of foreign serials on the local channel, the complainant said.
Independent Media Corporation said Pemra’s inaction against Horizon for airing excess foreign content was discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The complainant urged the court to make the respondent bring foreign content in its channel in conformity with the law and impose fine and cancel its licences if it fails to do so.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.
A two-member bench of Sindh High Court, headed by Justice Ghulam Sarwar Korai, hearing a petition filed by the Independent Media Corporation has issued notices to the country’s electronic media regulator along with other respondents.
The complainant has made Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and a television channel company, Horizon, respondents in the petition.
The complainant maintains that Pemra has allowed Pakistani channels to air only up to 10% foreign content, however, the said TV channel was airing 80-90% foreign content.
Pemra has failed in its mandate to regulate the electronic media and take notice of excess of foreign serials on the local channel, the complainant said.
Independent Media Corporation said Pemra’s inaction against Horizon for airing excess foreign content was discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The complainant urged the court to make the respondent bring foreign content in its channel in conformity with the law and impose fine and cancel its licences if it fails to do so.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2013.