KARACHI, Nov 14: The cable-operators in the city have started showing local advertisements in return for charges which depend on the length of time during which a particular advertisement is run, Dawn learnt here on Friday.

While some cable-operators employ a new channel to display advertisements, others “paste” the advertisement on the existing channels. The larger the viewership of the channel — particularly song channels —, the greater the charges.

A cable operator in Federal B Area, however, contended that the showing of advertisements was not barred by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. He argued that no clause of their agreement, signed under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganization) Act 1996, expressly disallowed the showing of advertisements.

He quoted the clause 1.19 of the agreement which, in fact, allowed showing of advertisements.

It reads: “Multimedia network means any broadcast and includes exhibition of films, features, dramas, advertisements, and serials through video cassette players or videodisk players.”

Invoking the same clause, the cable-operators started showing Indian/English movies some time back. When the attention of the PTA was drawn towards this practice, it perfunctorily issued a directive forbidding the cable-operators to show the movies.

The PTA also warned that if a cable-operator contravened the directive, his network would be sealed, his licence cancelled and a fine of Rs300,000 imposed on him.

While PTA officials, in principle, oppose the “pasting” of advertisements on the channels, they admit that they do not have a mechanism for catching those cable-operators who violate the directive. They say that owing to this technological inadequacy, the PTA has been loathe to take punitive action against errant cable-operators.

They concede that they have no way of determining the exact number of cable-operators and the total number of subscribers.