Wednesday August 23, 2006

PEMRA bill allowing cross-media ownership passed

Senate of Pakistan on Tuesday passed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2006 -- moved by State inister for Parliamentary Affairs Kamil Ali Agha on behalf of Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afghan Niazi to amend the
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/Fb_ShortNews.aspx?fbshortid=1098&
fcatid=14
&fstatus=Current&bcatid=14&bstatus=Current

Senate approves bill to amend PEMRA law

The Senate on Tuesday approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Bill as reported by the mediation committee of parliament, paving the way for establishment of TV channels by newspaper owners.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=2627

Call to revise ordinance

The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives Pakistan has called
for revising in the public interest the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2006 promulgated by the Sindh government. In an official statement issued here on Tuesday, the centre observed that access to information was a fundamental human right, which was considered a touchstone of all other rights and freedoms.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/23/nat16.htm

TNSM leader in no mood to close down his radio station

Incensed at government's move to ban his FM channel that
influenced a large number of people in Swat valley to set afire their TV
sets and close down their music and video shops, Maulana Fazlullah,
former activist of defunct Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat Muhammadi
(TNSM), has vowed to run his channel until a single listener to it is there in the area.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/MainNews.aspx?bdtl_id=3208
&fb_id=2&catid=14 b

Ansarul Islam plans office, FM radio station in Bara

Ansarul Islam, a Tirah-based organisation in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has decided to set up an office in Bara, tehsil headquarters of the agency, and install an FM radio station to counter what it calls the “propaganda” of the Lashkar-e-Islami.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\08\23\story_23-8-2006_pg7_13

Another writer returns civil award

Another renowned poet-cum-writer and columnist from the NWFP, Sadullah Jan Barq, has refused to accept a prestigious civil award for his services in the field of literature. Earlier Ahmad Faraz had returned the Hilal-i-Imtiaz award in protest.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=2633

Lady reporter and her brother’s detention in Layyah

MULTAN: Journalists and political workers on Tuesday took out a protest rally against the Layyah police and the district government for detaining a lady reporter and her brother on Punjab chief minister's visit in order
to stop them from putting questions to the CM regarding the district nazim’s corruption.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=20995

Governor NWFP opens press club in Khar

Governor NWFP Lt. Gen. Retd. Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai inaugurated a newly built Press Club building at Khar, Bajaur Agency Tuesday morning. Talking to the local journalists on this occasion, he said that the government was fully committed to the freedom of the press and was striving to promote journalism in the country.

http://www.frontierpost.com.pk/index.php?page=news&nid=2412
&tname=city_news

Govt striving to promote healthy journalism: governor

Governor NWFP Lt Gen (r) Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai said Tuesday the government believed in the freedom of press and was striving to
promote journalism in the country. Talking to local media men after inaugurating the newly constructed Press Club building, the governor said, "Objective journalism is my desire and passion and it is indeed
a requisite for over all development of the society."

http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=55367&catid=2

Jihad with pen against poverty

NWFP Governor Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai has asked the tribesmen to join hands with him and “wage jihad against poverty, illiteracy and unemployment with pen and knowledge instead of guns and weapons.”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\08\23\story_23-8-2006_pg7_27

Delay in implementation of 7th Wage Board Awad protested

Khyber Union of Journalists (KhUJ) on Tuesday organized protest camp in front of the Peshawar Press Club for the implementation of the Seventh Wage Award. Federal Union of Journalist had announced the protest camps to be held throughout the country to press government for the implementation of the award.

http://www.frontierpost.com.pk/index.php?page=news&nid=
2406&tname=city_news

Implementation of 7th Wage Board Award demanded

On the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, like other cities, a protest camp was set up for the implementation 7th Wage Board Award in front of the Peshawar Press Club Tuesday.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=55383&catid=2

MMA to defy ban on pamphlet distribution

Chief of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Tuesday said the legislators belonging to the religio-political alliance would defy ban on distribution of pamphlets outside mosques. Speaking at a Meet the Press programme at the Rawalpindi- Islamabad Press club, he said the ban was not acceptable as it was in violation of the provisions of the constitution relating to freedom of expression.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/23/nat2.htm

Editorial:

The Problem of freedom of press , Nawa-e-Waqat, Editorial Page

The Editorial is about the suggested amendments in Hudood Ordinance according to which,   if approved, a journalist or newspaper or any one who published the incident of rape could be award at least six month of imprisonment.

Letters to Editor:

Reflections of our TV plays

TELEVISION channels’ rapid mushrooming in Pakistan is a unique trend, though not unexpected. Today we have no less than 36 channels telecasting programmes in Urdu and all our regional languages, both in private and in public sectors. These channels operate from within Pakistan and from abroad.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/23/letted.htm#5

REGIONAL MEDIA:

Mumbai cable TV back on air

Cable TV operators in the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) have resumed transmissions after suspending services for more than 24 hours. Their programmes were taken off air on Monday after police officers raided eight operators and seized their transmission equipment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5274914.stm

BANGLADESH: JS body discusses bill on cable TVs

Dhaka --- The 19th meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Information Ministry was held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban here yesterday with committee president Ebadur Rahman Chowdhury in the chair.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5274914.stm

WHAT’S ON:

August 24 (Thursday): Launch of ‘British Media Guide’ by Ehsan Masood, organized by British Council Pakistan, at Islamabad Club, Club Road, Islamabad, 5 p.m-8:30 p.m.

MORE:

“Sher Afgan said the proposed ordinance of prevention of violence againt women suggests six month person for journalist who filed rape news”, Nawa-e-Waqat. Page-8

“Senate of Pakistan approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2006”, Daily jang, Front Page

“Senate approves cross media bill; Newspapers owners could start TV channels as well”, Daily Khabrain, Front Page

“Senate nods for cross-media ownership”, The Nation, Front Page

“Quarterly meeting of PTV General Managers conference will be held in September in Bhorban”,
Nawa-e-Waqat, Page-6

“Radio Pakistan Skardu will play important role in the development of the area”, Nawa-e-Waqat, Page-5

“Role of media vital for securing human rights”, The News, Page-10

“Rs 25 per connection tax on cable operators is reduced to Rs 8”, Daily Khabrain, Front Page

“PTV profit increased because of best marketing strategy”, Daily Khabrain, Page-3

“Columnist Zaidha Hina refused to accept pride of performance from a army led government”, Nawa-e-Waqat, Back Page

SOURCES:

The News: http://jang.com.pk/thenews/

The Nation: http://www.nation.com.pk/

Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/

The Dawn: http://www.dawn.com

Spider: www.spider.tm

BBC South Asia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/

Herald: http://dawn.com/herald/

Aurora: www.aurora@dawn.com

The Economist: www.economist.com

IFEX: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/158/

Jang: http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/

Nawa-i-waqt: http://www.nawaiwaqt.com.pk

Khabrain: http://www.khabrain.com

Daily Development News: http://asp.isb.sdnpk.org/

The Post: http://www.thepost.com.pk/

Business Recorder: http://www.pakistanpressfoundation.org

Asia Media: www.asiamedia.ucla.edu

PEMRA: www.pemra.gov.pk

States Man: http://www.statesman.com.pk

Frontier Post: www.frontierpost.com.pk

Compiled by, Sajid Gondal Media Monitor, Internews Pakistan.

DISCLAIMER: The contents, including news and headlines, in this newsletter are reproduced from their respective publications ad verbatim as a public service to media observers. Internews does not author the contents and these, therefore, do not necessarily reflect organizational policy.

Updated at 11:00 PST (06:00 GMT)