ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has lauded media and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) performance as its Acting Chairman Muhammad Parvez Rathore has presented financial report of the Authority’s operations and accounts for the fiscal years 2010-2014 to him at the Presidency.
President Mamnoon said that with unprecedented growth of media in the country, its role had become very important in impacting the norms and culture of society. While presenting the report, the PEMRA chairman briefed that Section 17 of Pemra (Amendment) Act, 2007 ordained compilation and submission of an annual report for each financial year to the president and to arrange for its publication and circulation to the media and public.
Rathore said that this was the first ever Pemra report which would give its reader the insight about financial position of Pemra. “The previous PEMRA report never contained depiction of books of accounts which is the distinct feature of this report,” he added.
The consolidated report reveals that Pemra has so far issued 91 licenses for indigenous satellite televisions. Of this, 50 licenses are of entertainment category, 35 news and current affairs, four educational TV, one health and one agricultural TV channel licenses have been issued. Besides, 26 landing rights permissions have been issued to off-shore channels. Similarly, 3,600 cable TV licenses, six MMDS, one IPTV, four Mobile TV and two mobile audio licenses were issued by PEMRA that are contributing remarkably as catalyst of socio-political change in society.
The report states that new vistas have opened up for investment and employment in the broadcast sector. To a safer estimate, this buoyant sector has observed cumulative investment of about $3 billion in distinct forms and has created employment for more than 200,000 people of diversified qualification and skills. If this brisk continued, it is estimated that the cumulative investment would touch $4 billion mark by the end of financial year 2016. Thus, the direct and indirect employment would tend to multiply. This has paved for opportunities in allied businesses like production houses, advertising agencies, music and performing arts.
