Geo Tv applies for broadcasting rights in India

[Bapun]

Geo a major Pakistan TV has applied to the Government of India to open its airwaves to a Pakistani channel. The government has for the first time received an application from a Pakistani television channel for "down-linking in India."

According to reports, Geo has used'Aman ki Asha'scheme to try to convince the government of India to open its borders to Geo. Geo for the past few years has been aggressively positioning itself as the harbinger of peace. Many were confused as to why Geo was doing this. It is now clear, this “scheme” was to broaden Geo’s market and increase the number of its subscribers. If Geo was seen as a "moderate" TV channel, perhaps it would get access to the lucrative Indian market.

India had banned the carrying of Pakistani channels about 10 years ago. Jilani had argued that since Indian television channels were allowed to be transmitted in Pakistan without restrictions and hence, India should reciprocate, according to media reports then.

During his last visit to India in July, Pakistan foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani is known to have demanded India to allow transmission of Pakistani channels including PTV in India. As for the past ten years, India has been broadcasting its TV channels to Pakistan while denying the access to Pakistan.

Geo’s application is amongst the 165 proposals that are under various stages of inter-ministerial clearances, I&B Ministry. Geo’s application is right now stuck in the inter-ministerial clearances, which includes the department of revenue, the department of space and the home and external affairs ministries. After the clearance is received, the company has to comply with the down-linking guidelines of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry.

Further it is for the first time that Times Now and Geo TV jointly conducted a programme in Delhi, hosted by Maroof Raza and Kamran Khan respectively. The Pakistani television channel’s application has been received amid efforts by the Pakistan government to convince India to allow television to be carried in India.

Geo Tv applies for broadcasting rights in India