QUETTA: The Council of Complaints of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Balochistan region, has recommended cancellation of licences of non-functional TV cable networks in the province.

At a meeting held here on Friday, the council observed that 20 TV networks have closed their functions. These TV networks were given licences for transmission in Kech, Chagai, Nasirabad, Quetta, Lasbela, Kalat, Sibi, Bolan, Qila Abdullah and Awaran districts.

The meeting was presided over by the council’s chairman, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, and attended by the secretary and deputy general manager of Pemra in Quetta and members of the council. The meeting recommended cancellation of licences of 20 TV networks.

The meeting accused some other TV networks of violating rules and regulations of Pemra by running programmes which violated social norms. These networks should be bound to present programmes conforming to culture, history and social values of the country, the meeting said.

Council member Afzal Murad said several programmes being aired by these TV networks were objectionable and violated ethics and morality.

The meeting was informed that the satellite TV network of ‘Sabzbaat’ had not paid its licence fee of over Rs2.5 million to Pemra. It was decided that a show-cause notice would be issued to the Sabzbaat TV network and its licence would be cancelled in case of non-payment.

The meeting observed that an FM radio for which a licence had been issued two years ago but it could not launch its transmission in Ziarat. It was decided that its licence would be cancelled to let another company launch its transmission in the district.