Making Sense of Regulatory Agencies: A Case Study of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)

Abstract

This research investigates the regulatory agencies in Pakistan by taking Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) as a case study. The establishment of media regulatory agency for electronic and broadcast media remained a controversial yet important factor in Pakistan‘s media regulation, development and liberalization. Many attempts had been made for regulating the broadcast media in Pakistan since 1997. PEMRA‘s establishment in 2002 shifted the media from a centralized to decentralized sector like other autonomous agencies. Pakistan adopted agencification process in 1980s but the media remained in the hands of the state till Musharraf‘s regime.Unstructured interviews offifteen were conducted that comprised five media experts, five journalists and five Members of National Assembly (MNAs) including those seven who maintained their confidentiality. It is argued thatthe rationale and objectives behind the establishment of PEMRA have been insufficiently addressed. However, the content regulation of the authority helped in both making the media sector vibrant and efficient along withrestoring Pakistan‘s image. With this in mind, the focus of the study of regulatory agencies is confined to PEMRA, its origin, rationale and its structure and functional role in regulating Pakistan‘s media.