This is apropos to the continuous fictitious, false and fabricated media campaign launched by a large media house against PEMRA for alleged closure of Geo Super channel transmission in Pakistan. It is ironic to witness that a media group, claimant of being torch bearer of truth and honesty, has incessantly been hammering PEMRA and the government by issuing parable, parochial and concocted stories of Geo Super’s closure which are far from reality.
PEMRA has frequently clarified its stance through neutral print and electronic media to apprise the general public and stakeholders about the reality. Though, vast literate segments of the society have been fully aware of the myth churned by the media group targeting PEMRA and the government, but a few have been deceived by the media group. Geo Super is a Dubai based foreign sports channel which was granted “Landing Rights Permission” in 2007 to distribute its content in Pakistan through cable TV networks. The permission granted to the foreign channel contains no provision to uplink any programme content from Pakistan.
Geo group has blocked transmission of Geo Super on their own and are depriving the public of sports activities. Rather, PEMRA has regularly issued notices to Geo Super to immediately restore transmission from Dubai under its license terms and conditions. The Geo Super saga is being articulated by the Geo group to pressurise PEMRA to issue a license to uplink them from Pakistan, for which they are not eligible under Rule 13 of PEMRA rules-2009. They are also exerting undue political, societal and media pressure to relax laws. PEMRA has 86 satellite TV channels licensees and 26 landing rights permission holders.
It is inexplicable that only one media group has accused PEMRA of antagonism, while no other channel or stakeholder has any complaint against PEMRA, its laws or operating procedures. If PEMRA had been bias, it would have first closed the news channel of the group which has consistently instilled negativity in viewer’s minds. PEMRA believes in self regulation, transparency, fair play and healthy competition. PEMRA has never acted as martinet to impose arbitrary sanction against any licensee or media group. As regulator, PEMRA has always acted as facilitator to help flourish the private electronic media in country.
