The electronic media watchdog announced on Monday 31st October 2016 that Nickelodeon's licence had been suspended, effective immediately, due to violation of strict Pemra directives, following the Wednesday 19th October 2016 decision which stated that any satellite channel or those with landing rights would face bans over screening of Indian content in order to enforce a complete ban on airing Indian content on local television and FM radio channels.
"PEMRA has decided to suspend license of Nickelodeon for showing cartoon dubbed in Hindi. The channel violated the October 19 decision by PEMRA which banned showing Indian contents," it said in a statement, which you can read in full below:
The statement issued by Pemra said that ARY Communications, which holds the "landing rights" licence for Viacom-backed Nickelodeon in Pakistan, has been informed of the decision to bar the channel from distribution in Pakistan. Local reports say the decision by PEMRA is being seen as a 'tit-for-tat' move by Pakistan following similar action by some channels and the entertainment industry in India against Pakistani content and artistes.
Nickelodeon India is owned by Viacom18, and is based in Mumbai, India, and is also carried by cable operators in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives as well as Pakistan.
Tensions are also running high between the two countries following the Uri terror attack and India's retaliatory surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).
Sources: The Times of India, IndiaTimes.com, Firstpost, Advanced Television, The Citizen, Hindustan Times via MSN.
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