Foreign channels likely to be ad free post Oct 23

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 14

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has rejected the proposal of the private sector to extend the deadline for implementation of clean feed.

After the Parliament’s Development and Technology Committee directed the government to implement the clean feed policy by October 23 (as stated in the Advertising Regulating Act), the private sector urged the government to extend the deadline.

Indian Broadcasters Forum, Discovery Networks, BBC News and Federation of Nepal Cable Television and other such associations had met Communications Secretary Hari Prasad Basyal separately to urge him to extend the deadline.

However, the ministry has turned down the private sector’s proposals. Issuing a notice today, it directed all the stakeholders to implement the clean feed policy by October 23, failing which the government will take action against them.

“Considering the preparation period, the government had taken a decision regarding implementation of clean feed on October 24. However, the private sector is again seeking additional time which is unacceptable,” reads the notice.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari had ratified the act on October 24. It will come into effect from October 24 this year. Implementing the clean feed policy for all Nepali channels is supposed to be completed before October 24.

However, there has been no progress in this regard yet.

The parliamentary committee had also directed the ministry to implement the act and ensure that the advertisements aired in the television channels in the country are sourced locally.

Once the policy is implemented, all foreign TV channels are likely to be free of advertisements.

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