Thursday, October 15, 2020

Media sector welcomes clean feed policy

 Nepali media sector – including advertising agencies – has welcomed the government decision of implementation of clean feed policy, expecting the government move will expand the advertising market to almost double.

Issuing a joint statement today, Nepal Media Society, Broadcasting Association of Nepal and Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal welcomed the decision. Earlier yesterday, Media Alliance Nepal has also welcomed the government move.

The government yesterday directed distributors of foreign television channels to broadcast them in Nepal without advertisements from October 23, warning of legal action against those, who fail to comply.

“Nepali media sector welcomes the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology move yesterday, the press note reads, adding that the implementation of clean feed policy –  that has been continuously lobbied and demanded by media sector since long has to be immediately implemented. “The clean feed policy will help domestic production and industry to expand while helping reduce their dependency.”

it is necessary to clarify some ambiguities in the bill through an advertisement instruction manual based on discussions with concerned organisations as it is necessary to form an advertisement board to implement the law, the press note reads, adding that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had reminded the distributors of foreign television channels that the Advertisement (Regulation) Act 2019 requires foreign television channels to be aired in Nepal without advertisements within October 23 this year and that the law has already given them one year to make the preparations necessary for airing foreign content free of advertisements.

The Cable TV operators screen pay channels and free-to-air channels on Nepali television sets. While the free-to-air channels, even if they carry advertisements, are shown to viewers without charge, foreign pay channels play advertisements of various multinational brands. But the pay channels can also be aired without commercials after levying certain charges on viewers under the clean feed policy.

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