Pakistan's elect🐠ronic media regulator has barred the television anchors from giving "opinions" during the talk shows and has limited their role of being a "moderator", a media r🐟eport said on Monday.
In a order issued on Sunday, the Pakistan Electronic Med❀ia Regulatory Authority a♛lso directed the anchors hosting regular shows "not to appear as experts" in talk shows in their own or other channels, the Dawn newspaper reported.
As per the PEMRA code of conduct, the role of anchors is to moderate the programme♑s in an objective, unbiased and impartial manner, excluding themselves from their personal opinions, biases and judgements on any issue.
"Therefore, anchorsಌ hosting exclusive regular shows should not appear in talk shows whether own or other channels as subject matter expert," the report said citinওg the order.
The regulatory body directed the media houses to select the guests in talk shows with ൲utmost care and keeping💖 in view of their knowledge and expertise in a particular subject.
The order, which was issued to all satellite TV channel licencees, comes following an ꩵorder by the Islamabad High Court dated October 26 in🍌 the matter of Shahbaz Sharif versus the state taken cognisance of various speculative TV talk shows whereby anchors, in violation of the code of conduct, tried to malign the judiciary and its decision with mala fide intention, the report said.
"The court has sought a report of PEMRA's actions on such violations ��with reprimand," itꩵ added.
PEMRA 🍸said the IHC also noticed that some anchors / journalists held speculative discussions on October 25 on some TV channels and alleged a purported deal with regard to the bail granted to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on October 26.
"This was believed to be an attempt to tarnish the image and integrity of honourable superior cou🍰rts and to make their judgement controversial,” it ad🍃ded.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on October 26 granted bail to Sharif in the 🏅Al- A♒zizia corruption case till Tuesday in which he is serving a seven-year imprisonment.
A day earlier, he had also secured bail in the money laundering case from the Lahore High Court. Bail has been granted in both cas✱es on medical grounds🐼.
PEMRA warned ꦆthe media houses that non-compliance with its directives/guidelines and orders of the Superior Court shall compel the authority to initiate legal action under sections of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by the PEMRA (amendment) Act, 2007.
