Nickelodeon (Pakistan)

Nickelodeon Pakistan
Launched 23 November 2006 (2006-11-23)
Owned by ARY Group
Picture format 4:3 (576i, SDTV)
Country Pakistan
Language English
Urdu
Broadcast area Pakistan
Headquarters Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Sister channel(s) ARY News
ARY Digital
ARY Musik
ARY Qtv
ARY Zindagi
HBO Pakistan
Website Official Website
Availability
Satellite
AsiaSat 4060 V
Paksat Channel 46
Cable
DWN Check frequency
IPTV
PTCL Smart TV Channel 21

Nickelodeon Pakistan or Nick Pakistan is the Pakistani feed of Nickelodeon, which is operated by domestic media company ARY Group's Digital Network subsidiary under a brand licensing and programming agreement with Viacom International Media Networks.[1] The network transmits over the Intelsat satellite to cable and satellite viewers in Pakistan, and features some portions of the schedule dubbed or subtitled in Urdu, along with some content directly imported from its Indian sister network (owned by Viacom 18). It also occasionally licenses Western market children's films.

Programming

Criticism and controversy

In 2005, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority issued an order regarding the ban of several non-private channels because programming which should have been dubbed into Urdu or used Urdu subtitles instead used Hindi terms and references blended into the local scripts, or the networks carried all-Hindi versions imported from India outright. Later on, Cartoon Network Pakistan switched to using the original English audio with Urdu visual translation on PEMRA's orders, but the Urdu dubs with Hindi blended in returned months later.[2]

In early 2010, PEMRA again issued a notice against children's networks, and suspended the licenses of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, disallowing them from broadcasting. In the meantime, the Pakistani government pushed unsuccessfully for PTV or another domestic broadcaster to launch a children's network to replace private broadcasters in order to assure PEMRA compliance with language standards.

On 1 August 2011, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, announced the restoration of the Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network licenses, allowing their return to the air, though she expressed disappointment that a domestic Pakistani broadcaster would not step up to broadcast children's programming, nor PTV would launch one, and that PEMRA would accommodate the launch any such network.[3]

2016 temporary network suspension and further difficulties

In the aftermath of the 2016 Uri attack, PEMRA again focused on Nickelodeon Pakistan as the network had begun to share programming with Nickelodeon India due to cost concerns, both within ARY and Viacom, and felt ARY was shirking off PEMRA's orders in order to economize against their orders; this also included the return of Hindi-blended and all-Hindi content to the Nickelodeon Pakistan schedule since their 2011 return to the air. The regulatory authority ordered a ban of the broadcasting of all Indian-originated media after 19 October, though PEMRA ruled that ARY Group had disregarded the order and continued to air imported programming with Hindi language content from Nickelodeon India during the restricted period. The network's license to broadcast was suspended on 31 October, with local providers pulling the network on PEMRA's orders.[4][5] Shortly thereafter, a stay from the Sindh High Court effectively nullified the PEMRA order to allow Nickelodeon's return to the air, stating the body had no authority for the suspension without a comprehensive explanation. ARY also stated that the ruling PML-N party had used the regulatory power of PEMRA to oppose its networks due to its differing political opinions from the PML-N.[6]

On 27 April 2017, the network carried an episode of Winx Club which featured a scene of what PEMRA alleged was an "indecently dressed" character, violating the body's 2015 Electronic Media Code of Conduct. After a month of appeals, PEMRA issued ARY a fine of ₨500,000 and warned the network against any further violations.[7][8][9]


References

  1. ↑ Clark, Steve (23 November 2006). "MTV and Nickelodeon launch in Pakistan". Variety. Archived from the original on 2007-05-13.
  2. ↑ Sabir, Arman (22 December 2005). "PAKISTAN: Operators slam Pemra move to ban channels". DAWN. Archived from the original on 2014-02-20 – via UCLA International Institute.
  3. ↑ "Two foreign channels for kids get Pakistan's nod". Thaindian News. IANS. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
  4. ↑ "Report PEMRA official twitter page". 31 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Pemra suspends licence of Nickelodeon channel for airing Indian content". DAWN. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  6. ↑ "SHC Restores Nickelodeon License in Pakistan". ProPakistani. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  7. ↑ "Report PEMRA official twitter page". 28 April 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017."Report PEMRA official twitter page". 15 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "PEMRA imposes Rs500,000 fine on Nickelodeon over this cartoon". DAWN Images. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "PEMRA fines Nickelodeon Rs500,000 for airing 'indecent' cartoon". Dunya News. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

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