Bring local TV channels on top of line-ups
Govt tells cable operators
STAFF REPORTER
The government has directed the cable line operators to prioritise the local TV channels and place those on top of channel line-ups. Currently, the cable operators arbitrarily determine the channel line-ups and many foreign channels occupy the top slots in the channel listing.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) with the commerce and information ministers at the secretariat yesterday. After thy meeting, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters that cable operators will have to comply with the government decision and erring operators will face stern action, including cancellation of licence.
As per the decisions taken at the meeting, the government will now determine the order of local cable TV channels based on the time since their first airing dates.
This means the first TV channel to have come on air will be in the top slot, the second oldest will take the next spot and so on.
The information ministry will decide on the order of the TV channels as per their first airing dates and inform the commerce ministry accordingly. We will then direct the cable TV operators to follow it, said the commerce minister.
He also said that all the local TV channels will have to be the members of the ATCO on a mandatory basis.
Currently most of the local TV channels face discrimination by the operators as foreign channels are often being placed before the local ones.
The government has so far given approval to 43 private TV channels and 24 of those are currently on air. The licences of two channels have been suspended.
