Looking for alternatives
Indian television channels may have been taken off air by Pemra but cable operators are still running Indian channels.
KARACHI:
While Indian television channels may have been taken off air by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), in compliance with a Supreme Court of Pakistan order, cable operators are still running Indian channels.
Saquib, who works at Solo Gold, asserted that while the cable network he works at is “strictly following the rule of law” others may not be. “I have heard that distributors such as Multi Plus Communication and associates, who we had earlier subscribed to for services, are currently airing Indian channels on TV screens. When one cable service provider is providing these services and the other one is not, the demand from female consumers remains constant. We receive numerous calls and requests from asking for Indian channels to be shown.”
A representative of World Call also said that they were following Pemra’s orders and not airing Indian channels.
People who want to watch Indian channels are either switching over to operators who are showing them or opting to have satellite TV services installed. While satellite dishes fell by the wayside with the influx of cable operators in Pakistan, the last time a demand for them rose was after the imposition of a state of emergency in Pakistan in 2007, when several local news channels were pulled off air.
Manzoor, who installs satellite dishes in Karachi, denies that sales have increased significantly. “The charges for a satellite dish are Rs600, so it is generally very expensive. Not many people are in a position to afford this. I believe people still prefer cable channels and viewership for them is going strong.
Satellite services are expensive. As reported by The Express Tribune in September, “Dish TV and Tata Sky, two of the most popular satellite services in Lahore’s markets, provide more than 200 Indian channels. Dish TV is available at Rs6,500 to Rs7,500, with monthly subscription charges of Rs600 and installation charges from Rs400 to Rs700. It provides more than 200 channels including the ones banned by Pemra.”
Solo Gold network’s Saquib agrees with Manzoor’s assessment. “This hasn’t affected the cable operators’ business – maybe by 10 per cent, if that.”
Representatives of electronics goods stores at Karachi’s Regal Chowk differed on the issue. M Kamil of Jamil and Sons Electronics said, “The reality is that we are not getting any business. People don’t have buying power hence there are no sales. Cable operators are still showing Indian channels in some residential areas of the city. This may not be the case in the upscale areas.” On the other hand, Wajahat Ali of GM Electronics told The Express Tribune that sales of satellite dishes have increased. “Every day at least eight satellite dishes are sold. The customers are mostly women.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2010.
While Indian television channels may have been taken off air by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), in compliance with a Supreme Court of Pakistan order, cable operators are still running Indian channels.
Saquib, who works at Solo Gold, asserted that while the cable network he works at is “strictly following the rule of law” others may not be. “I have heard that distributors such as Multi Plus Communication and associates, who we had earlier subscribed to for services, are currently airing Indian channels on TV screens. When one cable service provider is providing these services and the other one is not, the demand from female consumers remains constant. We receive numerous calls and requests from asking for Indian channels to be shown.”
A representative of World Call also said that they were following Pemra’s orders and not airing Indian channels.
People who want to watch Indian channels are either switching over to operators who are showing them or opting to have satellite TV services installed. While satellite dishes fell by the wayside with the influx of cable operators in Pakistan, the last time a demand for them rose was after the imposition of a state of emergency in Pakistan in 2007, when several local news channels were pulled off air.
Manzoor, who installs satellite dishes in Karachi, denies that sales have increased significantly. “The charges for a satellite dish are Rs600, so it is generally very expensive. Not many people are in a position to afford this. I believe people still prefer cable channels and viewership for them is going strong.
Satellite services are expensive. As reported by The Express Tribune in September, “Dish TV and Tata Sky, two of the most popular satellite services in Lahore’s markets, provide more than 200 Indian channels. Dish TV is available at Rs6,500 to Rs7,500, with monthly subscription charges of Rs600 and installation charges from Rs400 to Rs700. It provides more than 200 channels including the ones banned by Pemra.”
Solo Gold network’s Saquib agrees with Manzoor’s assessment. “This hasn’t affected the cable operators’ business – maybe by 10 per cent, if that.”
Representatives of electronics goods stores at Karachi’s Regal Chowk differed on the issue. M Kamil of Jamil and Sons Electronics said, “The reality is that we are not getting any business. People don’t have buying power hence there are no sales. Cable operators are still showing Indian channels in some residential areas of the city. This may not be the case in the upscale areas.” On the other hand, Wajahat Ali of GM Electronics told The Express Tribune that sales of satellite dishes have increased. “Every day at least eight satellite dishes are sold. The customers are mostly women.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 14th, 2010.