FM radio stations to provide leisure,information: Pemra chief

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Absar Alam said on Monday that auction of FM radio licences was being done in a transparent manner.

He was talking to media persons on the first day of two bidding process for auction of FM licences for 67 cities here. The Pemra chairman said that response for the FM auction process was satisfactory and launch of FM radio stations in the smaller cities would provide healthy entertainment and information to the people.

To a question, he said that Pemra will play its role in implementation of electronic media code of conduct. He asked the media houses to promote good and healthy tradition of journalism so that no punitive action is taken against them.

He said that operation against illegal Indian Direct to Home (DTH) television was continuing successfully and raids are being conducted throughout the country. He appealed to the general public to voluntarily stop use of illegal Indian DTH as Pemra did not want to conduct raids on people’s houses.

Earlier in his address at the start of the 9th phase of FM licences auction process he said that launch of 67 new FM stations will generate economic activities in the respective areas. He said that Pemra has adopted a fair and transparent method of auction of FM licences. He hoped that the licensees will run their channels in a fair manner.

He said it was a fact that impact of ban on Indian content has affected the FM radios more than the television industry. However he promised that things for the local FM radios will improve in coming few months. It is worth mentioning that on Monday licences for 34 FM radio stations were auctioned while 33 more licences will be auctioned on Tuesday.