Pemra advises TV channels to install time delay mechanism

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) Tuesday issued an advice to PTV News, Geo News and Ab Tak TV to install time delay mechanism.

The authority has advised these channels to install such mechanism at their production control rooms and master control rooms to avoid broadcast of audio and visual material which the viewers find offensive and also cause violation of Pemra laws.

In the advice, the authority said that on Monday the said TV channels telecast speech of Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali in which some words were aired which were offensive and in violation of the code of conduct implemented on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The PEMRA also asked the management of the respective channels to fulfil the journalistic obligations and improve their editorial control and monitoring over the content so that such violations of the code can be avoided. 

While giving advice to ARY channel on telecasting irresponsible comments on national affairs, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has said that no material should be broadcast which is objectionable or aims at humiliating any person or institution.

The Pemra has issued this advice to the channel on presenting views in irresponsible and unprofessional manner on the national affairs during one of its programmes on February 15, 2016 from 10 to 11 pm.

It said that it was very rare to find such an example in the history of journalistic world that such an obnoxious language was used in any news, comments, views, columns or in editorials. This act is against the code of conduct of electronic media 2015 enforced by Pemra and Supreme Court of Pakistan. 

The Pemra said that the channel has to make it sure that the standard of language which is used in the matter should be carefully used and loathsome and objectionable words should not be telecast.

Meanwhile, a delegation of women wing of Jamaat-e-Islami met Pemra Chairman Ibsar Alam and expressed reservations about the programmes and apprised him about growing vulgarity, anti-Islamic values, and presenting programmes against ideology of Pakistan and sayings of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal in morning shows broadcast in different TV channels.