Staff Reporter
Islamabad
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) while contradicting opposition senators’ claims during a meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday stated it had not asked the television channels to censor the activities of opposition leaders. PEMRA Chairman Saleem Baig while sharing figures of coverage patterns of television channels, claimed that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his party leaders were disproportionately getting more coverage than others. Faisal Javed chaired the committee meeting here at the Parliament House.
Opposition senators Pervaiz Rashid and Moula Bux Chandio raised the issue of non-coverage of leaders of opposition parties by television channels, alleging that the interviews and speeches of Asif Ali Zardari, Maryam Nawaz and Maulana Fazlur Rehman were being censored. The PEMRA chairman said the channels were giving 46 percent of their time for current affairs to Maulana Fazlur Rehman and his party members nowadays. All the activities of Maulana Fazl were being aired, he added.
The opposition senators left the meeting early saying they were not satisfied with the replies of PEMRA chairman. The chairman committee directed that PEMRA should ensure that cable operators should give first four positions in their catalogue to the Pakistan Television. He told the PEMRA officials that the owners of FM radio channels were leaving their businesses complaining of heavy license fees. A PEMRA official informed the committee that the licences of television channels were renewed after 15 years and those of radio channels after 10 years. PEMRA had issued licences to radio channels according to market determined prices, he added. The Frequency Allocation Board, he said, had limited frequency to distribute among radio channels.
The official said the Parliament had authorised PEMRA through law to frame regulations for allotment of licences and on determination of fees. The FM radio owners had gone to the court on the issue of heavy licence fees, he added. Senator Anwar ul Haq Karar said radio channel licence holders should submit their financial statements. He said the television channels were not bound to air the rallies of political parties for hours.
