PEMRA issues show-cause notice to News One programme ‘G for Gharidah’
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a show-cause notice to News One program G for Gharidah for airing derogatory remarks for Murad Saeed.
As bring reported, the regulatory authority has issued a show-cause notice to a news tv channel News One for airing “derogatory/demeaning remarks” about the Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed “without any editorial check” in a programme.
مرادسعید کی جس کارکردگی پر پہلانمبر ملا ہے وہ ریحام کی کتاب میں ہے؛ محسن بیگ
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) February 11, 2022
مرادسعید نےکارکردگی میں سب کو پیچھےچھوڑدیا مزید نہ پوچھیں پیمرا موجود ہے؛طارق محمود
مرادسعید کی کارکردگی کےالزامات سب کےسامنےموجود ہیں؛افتخاراحمد
میں مرادسعید کی کارکردگی بارے اتفاق کرتاہوں؛ جنرل امجد pic.twitter.com/TzGv09EZeN
According to the Pemra notice, the news channel News One had aired a show, G for Gharidah, on Thursday at 10:05 pm where the anchor and panelists had questioned the decision to award Saeed the top honour and made disparaging remarks about the federal minister, insinuating other factors behind the award than his ministry’s performance.
The notice said that”unprofessional/demeaning remarks” were aired without any editorial control or time-delay mechanism in place.
It added that airing such remarks “raises serious concerns on the performance of [the] channel’s editorial policy and gatekeeping tools being adopted/practiced”.
PEMRA notified that the remarks made were in “sheer violation” of Pemra Ordinance 2002 as (Amendment) Act, 2007; several clauses of the Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisement) Code of Conduct, 2015 and the orders of the Supreme Court in a 2018 suo moto case.
PEMRA has directed that channel’s CEO to reply in writing within four days as to why legal action including a fine, suspension, and revocation of license along with other measures should not be initiated. The CEO or an authorised representative was directed to appear before the body at its headquarters in Islamabad on Tuesday with a written reply.
“In case of non-compliance, ex-parte legal action shall be taken against the licensee in accordance with relevant provisions of PEMRA Laws,” PEMRA warned.
A copy of the PEMRA’s notice is attached within:
SCN News G For Ghareeda (February 11, 2022)
After the airing of the news talk show, several PTI leaders condemned the news show calling it extremely shameful” for the anchor to lead her programme with such derogatory language and sought for an apology.
کل ایک نیوز چینل پر اینکر اور شرکاء کی جانب سے انتہائی لغو اور ذومعنی گفتگو کا استعمال شدید قابلِ مذمت ھے۔ یہ کونسی صحافت ھے؟ تنقید آپ کا جائز حق ھے لیکن تنقید کی آڑ میں اخلاقیات سے گرنا انتہائی افسوسناک ہے.
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 12, 2022
When the gutter becomes mainstream for a few moments of infamy and titillation. Most unfortunate. https://t.co/zSGt7oLbSl
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) February 12, 2022
جس اخلاق سے گری ہوئی مکروہ باتیں مراد سعید کے بارے میں کی گئ، اگر یہ میرے یا کسی صحافی کے بارے میں کسی پروگرام پر کی جائیں تو ہم کیا مطالبہ کرتے؟ مراد سعید تو انشاءاللہ مزید کامیابی حاصل کرے گا، لیکن ہم نے ایسی گندگی کو ٹی وی سے نا روکا تو معاشرے میں تباہی پھیلے گی
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) February 12, 2022
درست بات اسی لئے 2018 سے قانون لانے کی کوشش کر رہا ہوں کابینہ قانون پاس کرے تو ہی ایسے گھٹیا اور لچر پن سے نجات ممکن ہے، #Ghaleez https://t.co/zYl55sqmOz
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 12, 2022
Very un called for,
— Ali Muhammad Khan (@Ali_MuhammadPTI) February 12, 2022
It’s nor journalism!
No one minds criticism based on facts& on professional performance but building an argument on a false allegation of someone who is a certified liar,is against not only journalistic norms but our culture,our religion & basic human ethics. https://t.co/X8rbt4kYny
This is not journalism … very disappointing to see such comments being made. https://t.co/4Rz9Zp3yeX
— Omar Ayub Khan (@OmarAyubKhan) February 12, 2022
A number of people belonging to the media fraternity also criticised the program:
This kind of loose talk can never be classified as journalism https://t.co/gxiSQnpTUU
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) February 11, 2022
This is highly condemnable. The anchor should have intervened and stopped it right there rather than playing along. https://t.co/u1goocjNU4
— Awais Saleem (@awaissaleem77) February 11, 2022
Loose talk by such senior journalists and analysts in the name of political discussion, very unfortunate. https://t.co/WF1PEi3lPi
— Iffat Hasan Rizvi (@IffatHasanRizvi) February 11, 2022