Pak bars TV anchors from airing opinion

Islamabad, October 28

Pakistan’s electronic 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 report said today.

In a order issued on Sunday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority also 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 programmes in an objective, unbiased and impartial manner, excluding themselves from their personal opinions, biases and judgements on any issue. 

“Therefore, anchors hosting exclusive regular shows should not appear in talk shows whether own or other channels as subject matter expert,” the report said citing the order.

The regulatory body directed the media houses to select the guests in talk shows with utmost 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 order 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 tried to malign the judiciary and its decision with mala fide intention, the report said. — PTI