Friday July 28, 2006

PEMRA issues satellite TV license

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) awarded a satellite TV license to Galaxy Broadcast Network (Pvt) Ltd Karachi to setup an international infotainment TV Channel.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\28\story_28-7-2006_pg5_12

Pakistan urged to probe 7 reporters' deaths

An international press freedom group on Thursday asked Pakistan to investigate the deaths of seven Pakistani journalists as vigorously as it did the slaying of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. Officials of the New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) made the demand during a visit to Pakistan in the wake of the execution-style killing last month of a Pakistani journalist, Hayatullah Khan, in North Waziristan .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072700254.html

Authorities' pledge to review journalist killings

Pakistani officials have promised to review investigative records and reveal government information on the deaths of seven Pakistani journalists killed for their work since 2002, as well as official records in 20 other cases in which journalists have been assaulted or improperly detained.

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/75970/

CPJ slams govt's treatment of journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday expressed concern over the government's treatment of journalists, noting that seven Pakistani journalists had been killed since 2002 while carrying out their professional duties.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\28\story_28-7-2006_pg7_42

CPJ asks govt to investigate journalists' deaths

Pakistani officials have promised to review investigative records and reveal government information on the deaths of seven Pakistani journalists killed for their work since 2002, as well as official records in 20 other cases in which journalists have been assaulted or improperly detained.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=17484

Cable operators end strike

The Cable Operators Association of Pakistan (CAP) has decided to end their strike, said a CAP press release on Thursday.
The release said that the association had decided to end the strike since the chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had promised to work for the abolition of the central excise duty on cable television networks.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\28\story_28-7-2006_pg13_8

Cable operators call off strike

Having assurance by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority that central excise duty would be withdrawn, the cable TV operators called off strike Thursday. According to the sources, the prime minister has appointed a committee under his Principal Secretary Javed Sadiq Malik including Chairman CBR and Chairman PEMRA among other relevant officials.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/july-2006/28/index13.php

PU reserves 2 seats for journalist

The Peshawar University Syndicate on the recommendations of the Academic Council has reserved 2 seats in the morning and evening shifts for working journalists having three years certified experience for admissions to the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/NatNews.aspx?dtlid=51350&catid=2

Newspaper designers' work put on display

Artwork by newspaper designers was put on display for the first time in Pakistan at Alhamra Art Gallery Thursday by the Newspaper Designers Association (NDA). Punjab Secretary for Culture Taimor Azmat inaugurated the exhibition, while people from all walks of life, especially journalists, took deep interest in the artwork (designing) by newspaper designers.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/CityNews.aspx?dtlid=51357&catid=3

Government launches campaign for polls

Government to meet frequently with media in effort to shape public opinion before general election.

The government on Wednesday launched a media offensive to mould the public opinion in favour of its domestic and international policies as part of its preparation for the upcoming general election.

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=49920

Radio producer flees court after bail denial

Senior radio producer Mudassar Sharif escaped from court in police's presence when his interim bail was rejected in a case for issuing a bogus cheque for Rs 1.55 million.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/CityNews.aspx?dtlid=51404&catid=3

PTV to honour Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi

Pakistan Television plans to produce plays based on the short stories written by renowned writer and poet Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi. These dramas will be aired in the month of October. Pakistan Television will present two plays each from its TV centres.

http://www.thepost.com.pk/ShowBizNews.aspx?dtlid=51248&catid=9

LETTERS TO EDITOR:

Language

Sir: We live in an age where technology and communications systems are evolving rapidly. The media play a vital role in communication and though Pakistan seems to be developing its various technologies, it is still lagging in preserving and promoting its culture.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\07\28\story_28-7-2006_pg3_7

News with a view

 IT was interesting to note how two leading news giants reported the same incident.  The death of the UN observers in an Israeli bomb attack was reported on CNN's website as: Air strike ‘kills UN observers' (quotation marks by CNN), while BBC reported the same incident as: Israeli air strike kills UN observers. Regardless of the puppet on a string role played by Tony Blair, we can take some solace in the fact that the BBC is not following the lead of the most unprincipled prime minister in modern British history.

http://www.dawn.com/2006/07/28/letted.htm

ARTICLE:

‘Dishing out religion on TV channels'

By Khaled Ahmed , Friday Times.

Media's computer convergence

By Sobia Bokhari

The past 40 years have witnessed an extraordinary evolution. From slow expensive machines controlled by punched cards, computers have become low-cost, powerful units taking up no more space than a briefcase. Simultaneously, our world has become interlaced with telephone wires, optic fibres, undersea cables, microwave links, television channels and satellite communications.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/OpinionNews.aspx?dtlid=51338&catid=11

War on Media

By Mansoor Jafar

The recent attacks on Arabic television channels namely: Al-Jazeera and Al Arabia, Al Manar and LBC in Lebanon [July 23] stems from the Tel Aviv attempts to muzzle press freedom in order to suppress media reports about growing public resistance against the Zionist forces in Palestine and Lebanon.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=17520

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: www.ifex.org

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.brecorder.com

Asia Media: www.asiamedia.ucla.edu

PEMRA: www.pemra.gov.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)