Audience participation in Ramadan broadcasts and Gifts display prohibited: PEMRA

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued special instructions for Ramadan broadcasts on TV channels in view of the Coronavirus.

The PEMRA notification said that "since the global disaster experts have suggested social distance, all PEMRA licensees need to review last year's Ramadan broadcasting method".

At the same time, Pemra also banned the attendance of Sehar and Iftar broadcasts.

All TV channels are obliged to follow instructions issued by the federal and provincial governments regarding social distance and quarantine, the statement said.

According to PEMRA guidelines

• If more than one person is hosting the broadcast, the distance between the two should not be less than one meter and there should be only one guest on the set during the broadcast.
• The world is suffering from hunger, poverty, resource deprivation and unemployment due to the outbreak, so gifts, motorbikes, cars or TVs, etc. should not be displayed as it will have negative social impacts.
• Conduct annotations, quizzes or speech contests through cutting-edge technology such as video links.
• Proper security kits should be provided to the staff associated with Ramadan broadcasting.
• On-screen or off-screen the distance between two people must be at least one meter.
• Devices/gadgets used in the studio for broadcast must be sterilized regularly.
• Hand sanitizers and handwashing facilities should be provided inside and outside the studios.
• Follow the instructions issued by the federal and provincial governments, which will be processed according to the law on the violation.
• Manage the germicidal walk through the gate at the studio entrance.
• Further, the Federal Government's directives for the Taraweeh prayer should be followed.

Along with this, PEMRA also directed the TV channels to take care of these basic points not to broadcast any material which is against the ideology of Islam or Pakistan.

In addition, TV channels should ensure that hateful statements are not broadcast by any employee or guest in the program.

There should also be no such talk that falls into the category of hate, such as calling someone anti-Pakistan, traitor or anti-Islam.

PEMRA clearly directed that if a guest made a hateful statement, the channel would stop its participation and make it visible to the audience that no one should know any other city as an infidel, an enemy of Pakistan, Islam. Or to oppose any other religion