This presentation is discussing the need of PEMRA Laws, Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA, Constitution of PEMRA etc...

2. PEMRA
By
Abid Zafar
MS-3rd - Fall 2015
International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Pakistan

3. SLOs
• Introduction
• The Need of PEMRA
• Code of Ethics given by PEMRA
• Constitution of PEMRA
• Provisions on Ethics
• List of Contents of Ethics which’s devised by PEMRA

4. Introduction
• Until a decade ago, radio and television broadcasting had been a state
monopoly which provided the successive governments an opportunity to
tightly control it
• Involvement of private sector media was minimum at that time

5. Introduction
• By late 1990’s, Pakistan establishment had come to realize that to counter the
cultural threat imposed by the Hindi channels available through satellite
receivers
• It needed to encourage private TV networks to Attract audiences who
wanted entertainment and current affairs in extensive contents

6. Two Main Reasons For Introducing Private
Electronic Media in Pakistan
1. Relative to print media the broadcast media are perceived to have greater
potential to develop in to a forceful institution of social and political
accountability
2. The involvement of private sector partners might have greatly undermined
the governments’ authority and its ability to wield control over the
broadcast industry

7. Introduction
• The dawn of the era of information society due to advancement in satellite
communication, digitalization and telecommunication technologies and with
the dawn of the era of globalization, the governments’ ability to control the
broadcast industry seem to have been greatly eroded the world over

8. Introduction
• For Example:
• In Europe, under the pressure of new technologies and the resultant
decentralization, privatization and communication overspill some are
projecting an end to the idea of a coherent national media policy (Siune &
McQuail, 1992).

9. Emergence of Private Media Industry in
Pakistan
• In Pakistan, the government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf initiated a major
policy shift by deciding to co-opt the private sector in broadcast media
operations
• PEMRA ordinance of March 1, 2002 was promulgated to regulate and
develop the broadcast media industry in the country

10. Ordinance Aims
• The ordinance aims at improving the standards of information, education
and entertainment as well as enlarging the choices of programs available to
the people
• This ordinance has established an authority known as PEMRA which is a
corporate body

11. Ordinance Aims
• Its primary responsibility is to govern the broadcast media affairs at all levels
in the country and accountability, transparency and good governance by
optimizing the flow of information

12. Restrictions of PEMRA Apply Only on the
Private Sector
• The PEMRA charter doesn’t over rule the laws governing the operations and
structure of PBC and PTV

13. Composition of PEMRA
• The authority has 13 members, a chairman and includes high ranking
government officials as its members like secretaries of departments of the
Interior, the information and the Chairman PTA
• The chairman PEMRA is appointed by the President of Pakistan

15. Composition of PEMRA
• Majority of the people who are constituting the PEMRA are come from the
governments

16. Issuance of License
• The authority has been empowered to issue licenses for broadcast and CTV
stations in the following categories:
1. International Scale Stations
2. National Scale Stations
3. Provincial Scale Stations
4. Local Area or Community Based Stations
5. Specific and Specialized Subject Stations
6. Cable Television Network Stations

17. Cont…
• It mandates the private TV stations to broadcast at least 10% of the
programs in the public interest to be specified by the government and the
authority

18. PEMRA
[A CRITIQUE]
• If PEMRA is an authority then it must be independent from every kind of
influence of the government
• Chairman is appointed by the President of Pakistan
• Federal Secretary for interior and Federal Secretary for Information are the
part of PEMRA
• PTV and PBC are not the subject to PEMRA ordinance

19. Cont.
• Only censorship over private channels
• The qualification of chairman is not very clear
• Chairman is to be eminent professional from any walk of life
• According to the latest 2007 amendment, out of 13 members 8 would be
government representatives
• In 2007, due to promulgations of emergency and terrorism, the electronic media
was criticizing the government
• Now police have been authorized to take actions against the broadcasters and their
staff

20. PEMRA Codes for Broadcasters and Cable
Operators
• The category of PEMRA codes is divided in two categories
1. Programs ( News, Current Affairs, Entertainment)
2. Advertisements

21. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
1. No program shall be aired which
a) Passes derogatory remarks about any religion or sect or community or
words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which
promoted sectarian attitudes or disharmony
b) Contains anything pornographic, obscene or indecent or is likely to
deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality

22. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
1. No program shall be aired which
c) Contains an abusive comment that when taken in content, tends to or is
likely to expose an individual or a group or a class of individuals to hatred or
contempt on the basis of race or caste, national, ethnic or linguistic origin,
color or religion or sect, sex or sexual orientation, age or mental or physical
disability
d) Contains anything defamatory or knowing false

23. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
• 1. No program shall be aired which
e) Is likely to engage and incite violence or contain anything against
maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-state attitudes
f) Contains anything amounting to contempt of court
g) Contains aspirations against the judiciary and integrity of thhe armed forces
of Pakistan

24. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
• 1. No program shall be aired which
h) Slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social,
public and moral life of the country
i) Is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners
j)Brings in to contempt Pakistan or its people or tends to undermine its
integrity or solidarity as an independent and sovereign country

25. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
• 1. No program shall be aired which
k) Promotes, aids or abets any offence which is cognizable under the applicable
laws
l) Denigrates the men and women through the depiction in any manner of the
figure in such a way as to have the effect of being indecent or derogatory
m) Denigrates children

26. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
• 1. No program shall be aired which
n) Anything which tends to glorify crime or criminals
o) Contains material which may be detrimental to the relations of Pakistan with
other countries
p) Contains material which is against the ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values

27. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
2. Particular care should be taken to ensure that programs meant for children
do not contain objectionable language or are disrespectful to their parents or
elders
3. Programs must not be directed against the sanctity of home, family and
marital harmony

28. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Programs
• 4. While reporting the proceedings of the parliament or the provincial
assemblies, such portions of the proceedings as the chairman or the speaker
may have ordered to be expunged, shall not be broadcasted or distributed
and every effort shall be made to release a fair account of the proceedings of
the parliament or provincial assemblies

29. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Advertisings
1. Advertisings aired or distributed by a broadcast or cable TV station shall be
designed in such a manner that if it confirms to the laws of the country and is
not offensive to morality decency and religious sects of the people of Pakistan
2. No advertising shall be permitted which
a) Promotes or support sedition, anarchy or violence in country
b) Is against any provisions of the constitution of Pakistan or any other law
for the time being inforce

30. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Advertisings
• No advertising shall be permitted which
c) Tends to incite people to crime, cause disorder or violence or breach of law
or glorifies violence in anyway
d) Glorifies adultery, lustful passions or alcoholic drinks or non-Islamic values
e) Distorts historical facts, traditions of Pakistan or the person or personality
of a national leader or state dignity
f) Fans racial, sectarian, regional or class hatred

31. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Advertisings
• No advertising shall be permitted which
g) Promotes social inequality, militates against the concepts of human dignity
and dignity of labor
h) Is directed against sanctity or home family or marriage
i) Is wholly or mainly of a political nature
j) Contains indecent, vulgar or offensive themes or treatment

32. Code of Ethics Given by PEMRA For
Advertisings
3. The goods or services advertised shall not suffer from any defects which are
harmful to human health, misleading claims about the goods shall not be made
4. No advertising which is likely to be seen by children in large numbers should
urge children directly to purchase goods of a particular brand or ask their
parents to do so
5. All advertisings must be clearly distinguishable as such and be separate from
the programs and shall not in any manner take the form of news or
documentary

33. Provisions of Ethics
Which ethics PEMRA has devised regarding Contents that Media have to follow?
1. Local Media Industry Protection
2. Religious Contents
3. Ethical & Social Values
4. Coverage of Incidents of Accidents,
Violence and Crimes
5. Privacy and Personal Data Protection
6. Programming and Children
7. Languages
8. News & Current Affairs Programs
9. Re-Enactment
10. Programming: Mix and Live Coverage
11. Advertising
12. Errors & Corrigendum

34. 1. Local Media Industry Protection
• Licensee shall ensure that the foreign content aired in a calendar day does
not exceed a maximum of 10% of the whole content
• Licensee shall ensure that no program is aired in violation of the intellectual
copy rights

35. 2. Religious Content
• No content shall be aired contains derogatory remarks about any religious or
sect or community or uses visual or words contemptuous of religious sects
and ethnic groups or which promotes sectarianism, hatred or disharmony

36. 3. Ethical & Social Values
• Licensee shall show deference to the ethical and social values of the country
and ensure that
a) Any content that slanders any individual or group, segments of social, public
and moral life of the country is not broadcast or distributed
b) Content does not make careless references to any class or group of persons
as being inherently inferior or in any way discriminate against any section of the
community or account of religion, gender, age, disability or occupational status

37. Con.
c) Behavior such as smoking and drug abuse is not presented as glamorous
d) Alcoholic, beverages, tobacco products or any other narcotics shall not be
shown
e) Content does not contain anything that, when taken in context, ends to or is
likely to expose an individual or a group or class of individuals to hatred or
contempt on the basis of race or caste, national, ethnic or linguistic origin color
or religion or sect, sex or sexual orientation, age or mental or physical disability

38. 4. Coverage of Incidents of Accidents,
Violence and Crimes
• The coverage of incidents of violence, accidents and crimes shall not incite,
glamorize or in anyway promote violence or anti-social behaviors
• Appropriate warning during broadcasting of these incidents
• Close-p shots of killing or violence shall not be shown
• Identity of any victim of rape, sexual abuse, terrorism or kidnapping or such
victims, families of these victims' shall not be revealed without prior written
permission

39. 5. Privacy & Personal Data Protection
• Licensee shall not obtain or seek information, audio, pictures or any
agreement through misrepresentation or deception
• Personal information shall be published after written permission from such
persons

40. 6. Programming and Children
• Horror and supernatural contents shall not be published
• Portraying children as financial burden on parents shall not be published
• Physical and emotional welfare and the dignity of people
• Prizes aimed at children must be appropriate to the age range of both the
target audience and parents

41. 7. Languages
• Abusive language shall be strictly avoided in dramas and talk shows
• Superiority of languages
• Character association with different languages

42. 8. News & Current Affairs Programs
• Objective, accurate and in balanced manner
• All news bulletins shall be prepared and edited by the licensee through its
own editorial board
• Glorifying the news which effects are negative shall not be published
• Court proceeding
• Assemblies proceedings
• Entertainment News

43. 9. Re-Enactment
• Dramatizing the real story
• Must be entitled from the start to the end
• Footages or re-enactment of following shall not be aired
i. Executions or other scenes in which people are clearly seen being killed or about to die
ii. Rape, sexual abuse scenes
iii. Cases which are under trial in courts

44. 10. Programming: Mix & Live Coverage
• A licensee shows content as per its license category and percentage wise
content set out in the terms and conditions of the license
• Licensee may broadcast live programs if it is permitted under the terms and
conditions of the license provided
• An effective delaying mechanism has been put in place in order to ensure
effective monitoring and editorial control

45. 11. Advertising
• Advertising shall not promote obscenity, violence or other activities which
are harmful to human health
• Alcoholic, tobacco products, drugs or narcotics are not presented or
glamorized
• Fake advertisings
• Foreign advertisings

46. Errors and Corrigendum
• In the event where any false news or information aired, licensee shall
acknowledged and correct the same on the same medium without any delay
in the same manner and magnitude as that of the false news or information
was aired