| GEO News | |
|---|---|
| Launched | 2002 |
| Network | Geo TV |
| Owned by | Geo TV |
| Picture format | 4:3 (576i, SDTV) |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| World TV Europe (Europe) | Channel 13 |
| Pehla (Middle East) | |
| Sky Digital (UK / Ireland) | Channel 825 |
| Dish Network (USA) | Channel 902 |
| Indovision (Indonesia) | |
| Cable | |
| Southern Networks (Pakistan) | Channel 9 |
| UCS | Channel 52 |
| Cablelink (Philippines) | Channel 105 |
| IPTV | |
| World On Demand (Japan) | Channel 116 |
| PTCL Smart TV (Pakistan) | Channel 08 |
| Freebox TV (France) | Channel 602 |
| NeufBox TV (France) | Channel 630 |
| TV Desi (Canada) | Channel ?? |
Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world.
Contents |
Some of the popular news programmes are Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath, Capital Talk with Hamid Mir, Jawaab Deh, and the notorious political comedy programme Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain.
Banana News Network (BNN)
Since its launch, the channel has been involved in many controversies.
In April 2010, Federal Board of Revenue raised tax demands against Messrs Independent Media Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. to which Geo News is a subsidiary totaling to 1,680.000 million rupees, failing to what Deputy Commissioner, Inland Revenue, FBR, proceeded to arrest Geo News directors; however, Sindh High Court on the latter's appeal granted stay order against this move.
After the imposition of emergency in November 2007 in Pakistan by Pervez Musharraf, the broadcasting of all private television news channels were obstructed by the Government of Pakistan. Geo News was completely banned to broadcast its news channel and entertaining channels by the Government. Pervez Musharraf claimed media was ‘promoting negativism’.[1][2][3]
The ban was lifted on Monday 21 January 2008.[4]
On November 10, 2007, the Geo Network filed a court case with the Sindh High Court against the Government's ban on its four channels.
On November 16, 2007 Geo TV Network received an order from local authorities to cut off all their live broadcast of programmes. Geo TV was also banned for showing any programme of Geo News' main stream anchors like Dr. Shahid Masood and Hamid Mir.
On November 9, 2007, Geo Network's website was attacked and hacked by DoS, which made the official website inaccessible to the Internet audience.
Geo News programs Capital Talk and Meray Mutabiq was banned again by Dubai government due to a request from the Pakistan Government. Due to this, the channel moved from Panamsat to Asiasat 3s, from Dubai to Islamabad.
On Friday the 13th March, 2009 Geo News was taken off-air in the evening in many major cities of Pakistan. The step was taken by the Pakistan Government days before the lawyers in the country had called for 'Long March' to restore the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Geo News was targeted as Geo News was very actively promoting the 'Lawyers' Movement' and the 'Long March' and constantly going against the running government for several years. The elected Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government ordered the cable operators to shutdown Geo News or shift the channel to a new 'number', so that the government can deny any allegations of blocking the news channel. It was reported that president Asif Ali Zardari had personally ordered Geo News be blocked on cable television across Pakistan.[5][6][7]
Midnight 13/14 March 2009 Federal Minister for Information, Sherry Rehman, resigned from Federal Cabinet due to differences of opinion with the government over blocking Geo News. [8][9][10][11]Prime Minister of Pakistan accepted the resignation.
Countrywide protests were held against curbs on media.[12]
Geo News was allowed on-air on 15 March 2009 in most parts of Pakistan but its position was pushed further down the channel list due to government pressure on cable operators.
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