ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: The government will soon award 12 new TV channel licences, says General Manager (enforcement) Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority Col (retd) Mansoor Rasheed.

He was speaking in a PTV programme on Saturday.

He said that 22 new license for TV channels were being processed, adding that the process would be completed soon.

Pemra's general manager said that 10 licenses had also been awarded to satellite TV channels and two licenses had been awarded to virtual universities which would begin airing transmissions soon.

There were, he said, presently 1,196 legal cable operators, adding that Pemra had taken action against 2,300 illegal cable operators.

He said that the airing of CDs and commercial programmes on cable network had been banned by the PEMRA, adding that Pemra had taken action against 1,500 cable operators for violating the code of conduct.-APP