ISLAMABAD, March 1: The President on Friday promulgated ordinance establishing Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority which has been empowered to issue licences for establishment of radio, television, cable television, and closed circuit television.

The ordinance called Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002, would issue licences for establishing and operating broadcast or CTV stations.

Broadcast media has been defined by the law as “broadcast by radio, television, including cable television, closed circuit television, direct broadcasting, multi-point multi-channel distribution system for radio and television.”

No foreigner or foreign company would be entitled to apply for licence.

The objective of the law is stated to be improvement in the standards of information, education, entertainment and to enlarge the choice available to the people of Pakistan in the media for news, current affairs, religious knowledge, art, culture, science, technology, economic development, social sector concerns, music, sports, drama, and other subjects of public and national interest.

The principal office of the authority will be at Islamabad. The PEMRA will be responsible for regulating the establishment and operation of all broadcast and CTV stations in Pakistan established for the purpose of international, national, provincial, district, local or special target audience.

The law empowers the federal government to issue directives to PEMRA on policy matters and such directives would be binding on the authority. If a question arises whether any matter was a matter of policy or not, the decision of the federal government would be final.

The authority will consist of a chairman and nine members to be appointed by the President. The chairman will be an eminent professional of known integrity and competence having substantial experience in media, business, management, finance, economics or law.

Out of nine members, one will be nominated by the federal government on full time basis and five would be eminent citizens chosen to ensure representation of all provinces. Federal information and interior secretaries will be ex-officio members.

The law requires that chairman and members of the authority will not associate themselves with any person or entity engaged in applying for a licence or operating a broadcast station established within the purview of the authority or in providing services or products to the authority.

A PEMRA fund would be established with the seed money by the federal government, fees for issuance of licences of operating.