PEMRA Awards Cable TV Licenses to 20 Companies

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has granted 42 cable television licenses to 20 companies across 37 districts after they met the required eligibility standards.

A special ceremony marking the occasion was held at PEMRA headquarters in Islamabad. Chairman Muhammad Saleem welcomed the participants and congratulated the new license holders, encouraging them to provide quality entertainment and accurate information while complying with PEMRA regulations. He also urged them to maintain fairness and contribute positively as they launch their networks.

The chairman noted that the second phase of license issuance has already been advertised, with the application submission deadline extended by 20 days to encourage wider participation.

The event was attended by senior PEMRA officials, including Executive Director General (Licensing Distribution) Sardar Irfan Ashraf Khan, Executive Director General (Licensing Broadcast Media) Wakeel Khan, Executive Director General (Operations Broadcast Media and Public Relations) Muhammad Tahir, Executive Director General (Admin) Khurram Siddiqui, and several regional directors from Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This marks the first time PEMRA has introduced district-level cable TV licensing. In the initial phase, applications were invited in February 2025 through national newspapers, PEMRA’s website, and multiple broadcast platforms. A total of 91 applications from 36 companies were received nationwide.

Auctions were conducted in nine districts — Mianwali, Sialkot, Swat, Abbottabad, Muzaffargarh, Sahiwal, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, and Attock — while offer letters were issued for 44 districts where fewer applicants had applied. Out of 29 companies initially qualified for 67 licenses, those completing the required documentation were awarded licenses during the ceremony.