Should govt directly distribute ads to newspapers? Govt seeks recommendations from stakeholders to

exclude ad agencies’ role

By Tahir Khalil : ISLAMABAD: The federal government has sent the draft of a new policy for issuing advertisements to the print and electronic media to the stakeholders for their feedback and recommendations.

The APNS, CPNE, PBA, PFUJ, provincial governments and the relevant institutions have been asked to furnish their suggestions after studying the new policy draft.

The Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Shafqat Jalil, said while talking to this correspondent that the power of giving advertisements should be given to the Press Information Department (PID). He said it has been suggested that the government ministries, divisions, autonomous bodies and corporations will give advertisements only through the PID. If it happens, then the advertisements for newspapers and TV channels will not be issued through advertising agencies and the PID lone will directly issue the advertisements.

The draft also seeks to introduce three new categories of newspapers. It has also been recommended to abolish the 25 percent quota of the regional newspapers. The draft says the ruling party will not be entitled to use public funds for the party advertisements. The new rates of the TV advertisements will be issued within 30 days of the approval of the new policy by the federal cabinet. The rating of channels will be determined after approval of the Pemra.

The draft law proposes that the government tender notices will be published in two national English dailies and a regional newspaper or in all the editions of a national newspaper. The tender notices costing up to Rs10 million will be published in six newspapers, including four national newspapers. The tenders of over Rs10 million will also be given to two national Urdu and English dailies each. If an advertisement is to be given in more than one language, then they will be given to one English, two Urdu and an local newspaper.

The job advertisements will be given to three national dailies and one regional newspaper, while display advertisements will be published for specific subscribers. If an advertisement concerns the federal government, it will be given to six newspapers, including three Urdu or English and three local newspapers. The show cause notices of the government and autonomous bodies will be given to two national newspapers and one local newspaper.

It has been proposed that all the promotional advertisements will only be released to newspapers, TV and radio channels through the PID and the payments will be made through the PID or the DGPR. The PID will give advertisements to only those publications which are on the central media list.

According to the draft, newspapers will be divided into three categories. Newspapers having daily circulation of 30,000 and at least 50 employees will be placed in Category-A, newspapers with 15,000 circulation and 20 employees will be placed in Category-B and the remaining newspapers, including online publications, will be included in Category-C.