PEMRA Issues Warning To Bol News, Show Cause To Neo TV

Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday issued warning to Bol News and issued show cause notice to Neo TV for airing derogatory remarks against a minister of state and an ethnic community respectively.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2018 ) :Pakistan Electronic Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday issued warning to Bol news and issued show cause notice to Neo tv for airing derogatory remarks against a minister of state and an ethnic community respectively.

In the warning issued to Bol News, the PEMRA said that on December 12, the channel aired a program " Aisey Nahin Chaley Ga", hosted by Dr Fizza Akbar, in which the host used unreasonable and sarcastic remarks against Minister of State for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed. The remarks given by the host were not only humiliating but against the PEMRA Code of Conduct-2015. The management of Bol News was reminded that PEMRA ha issued several advices and directives for ensuring objectivity in programmes, maintaining standards of language and upholding social and ethical values, but the monitoring of the programmes show abysmal editorial oversight.

The management of the channel has been warned to be careful in future while broadcasting any porgramme and should uphold the journalistic ethics and moralities in future.

It was also directed to share details of in-house monitoring committee within seven days of receipt of this warning and deploy effective delay mechanism in order to avoid any such violations. In case of non-compliance, strict action would be taken under Section 30 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment Act 2007.

Meanwhile Neo TV was issued a show cause notice for use of derogatory remarks against a community by Orya Maqbool Jan, in Harf-e-Raz programme.

The channel has been advised to show cause in writing as well as appear for personal hearing through CEO or an authorized representative on December 17 as to why appropriate legal action not be initiated under PERM always.

In case of non-compliance, PEMRA would proceed under Section 27,29 and 30 under PEMRA Ordinance.