PBA agrees to 70 percent cut in rates of government adverts: minister

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 11 January 2019

Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced a 70% cut in government advert rates agreed upon by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association. This decision is expected to save the government billions of rupees.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said Friday the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) had agreed to a 70% cut in rates of government adverts.

The minister announced this on Twitter, saying the government would save billions of rupees as a result of this.

میڈیا مالکان اور حکومت Ú©Û' درمیان اشتہارات Ú©Û' ریٹ پر معاھدہ Ø·Û' پا گیا ہÛ'ØŒ اس معاھدÛ' Ú©Û' نتیجÛ' میں PBA Ù†Û' حکومتی اشتہارات Ú©Û' ریٹس میں 70% Ú©Ù…ÛŒ پر آمادگی ظاہر Ú©ÛŒ ہÛ' اس Ú©Û' نتیجÛ' میں حکومت Ú©Ùˆ اربوں روپÛ' Ú©ÛŒ بچت ہو Ú¯ÛŒÛ"

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) January 11, 2019

The PBA and the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) have had a hard time dealing with the new PTI government.

There have been instances where the minister spoke out against the media houses, their business models, and their continual job and pay cuts.

For example, in December the minister claimed the government had paid around half of the money it owed to the media houses, but none of it was used to pay salaries of workers.

It upset both the media bodies which went on record to clarify and said such statements by the minister could create conflict within the media industry. “Previously also the minister has made disparaging public remarks against the news media industry which is highly regrettable,” the APNS and PBA had said back then.

KEY POINTS:

• PBA agrees to a 70% reduction in government advertising rates.
• Government expected to save billions as a result.
• Fawad Chaudhry announced the decision on Twitter.
• The move follows ongoing tensions between the media and the government.
• APNS and PBA have expressed concerns over media treatment.