ISLAMABAD, Oct 18: The government on Monday awarded licences to successful bidders for establishment of 22 FM radio stations in 17 cities across the country.

The information minister, Nisar A. Memon, awarded the licenses at a ceremony held at the National Auditorium on Friday.

The cities where the stations will be established are Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar, Daska, Sialkot, Sukkur, Changla Gali, Vehari, Muridke, Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujrat, Multan, Gwadar, Sarai Naurang, Abbottabad and Hub Chowki.

Earlier, 39 licenses were to be issued in the private sector for setting up of FM radio stations in 21 cities. However, no bidding was received for setting up one station each at Hyderabad, Bahawalpur and Gujranwala, and two radio stations in Quetta city.

For setting up of three FM radio stations in Karachi, licenses were given to Shamal Media Services, Pvt Ltd, Karachi; Tradeserve International, Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; Vectracom Engineering, Pvt Ltd, Karachi.

To set up three FM radio stations in Lahore, licences were given to Shamal Media Service Pvt. Ltd, Karachi; Tradeserve International Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; and University of Punjab, Lahore.

In Islamabad, licences were given to the Communicators, and International Islamic University, for establishing two stations.

For setting up one station each in Abbotabad, Vehari, the license was given to the Communicators, Islamabad; in Bahawalpur, KATS Communications Pvt. Ltd, Multan; Changla Gali, Gawadar, Hub Chowki, Muridke, SALAAR Engineering Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; Faisalabad, Multan, Tradeserve International Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; Gujrat, Future Tech Engg & Systems Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; Peshawar, Sialkot, Interactive Communications Pvt. Ltd, Islamabad; Sarai Naurang, SAIF International Combine Pvt. Ltd; Sukkur, Shamal Media Services Pvt. Ltd, Karachi.

Commenting on the opening of new radio stations, the minister said it would introduce a new era in the country’s electronic media by inviting the private sector for making investment.

He assured the successful bidders that they would be free to operate their FM radio stations. However, he said the government’s function would be to regulate, not to control the media, to make it project things according to local environment.

The minister announced that, very shortly, the licences for the establishment of television channel would be awarded. In this connection, he said, all the process had been completed which would be announced within next 12 days. He said Pakistani people would be given preference to make investment in the electronic media.

The chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Mian Mohammad Javed, said as many as 650 companies had applied for the FM radio stations licenses, out of which only 22 were short-listed for taking part in the bidding.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Information Anwar Mahmood said the military government had done a wonderful job in providing an opportunity to the private sector to make investment in the electronic media. It will create a spirit of competition among the competitors to produce quality and effective programmes in the national interests.