Pakistan hits GEO with sanctions
April 13, 2011
By Chris Forrester
Geo News and Geo Super have seemingly upset Pakistan’s regulator, and not for the first time. Now Pakistan’s media regulator (PEMRA) having taken note of what they say are “perpetual violations” committed by the two channels for “airing false news reports” has issued formal notices and is now blocking the channels distribution in the country.
PEMRA’s statement says: “As per Section 20 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 and Clause (1) (d) of Code of Conduct of PEMRA Rules 2009, no satellite TV channel can broadcast any news item which is knowingly false and which may injure the sanctity of any individual or institution, said a PEMRA press release. Geo News has been issued repeated warnings and notices for propagating false, distorted and baseless news on its channel and had been warned to refrain from creating media hype through biased reporting to gain public sympathies.”
PEMRA added: “time and again [it] has clarified that under Landing Rights Permission no channel has privilege to transmit its signal from Pakistani territory or cover any live event occurred in Pakistan unless granted temporary up-linking permission for covering any specific event. It is worth mentioning that PEMRA has 86 satellite TV licensees and 27 landing rights permission holders including channels of Geo group, but no-one has ever complained, whereas only Geo group is spreading baseless news stories.”