GEO News

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.^{[citation needed]}

Popular Shows

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.

Programs

• Crisis Cell
• Capital Talk
• 50 Minute
• Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath
• Aik Din Geo Ke Saath
• Alif^{[disambiguation needed ]}
• Bazaar
• Geo Kitab
• FIR^{[disambiguation needed ]}
• Dekho Suno Samjho
• Geomentary
• Ghamidi
• Gillete World Sports
• Hamzanama
• Hum Sub Umeed Se Hain
• Jaan Hai To Jahan
• jirga
• Left Right
• Match Box
• Meray Mutabiq
• Score^{[disambiguation needed ]}
• Tezi Mandee
• Tezi Mandee Round Up
• VoA

Good I love Geo.

• Tezi Mandee Weekend
• Zara Sochiye
• Bachey man ke sache
• The awaein show

Controversies

Since its launch, the channel has been involved in many controversies.

Tax Theft

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.

2007 State of Emergency

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]

Case in Sindh High Court

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.

Order to Shut Down

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.

Attack on Geo TV Website

On November 9, 2007, Geo Network's website was attacked and hacked by DoS, which made the official website inaccessible to the Internet audience.

Banned Programs

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.

Geo News Taken Off-Air Again

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.

See also

• Dubai Media City
• Geo TV
• GEO Super
• AAG TV
• Geo Kids
• List of television stations in Pakistan

References

1. ^ * Staff, Reporter (2007), Curbs imposed on media, Daily Dawn, http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top13.htm, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
2. ^ * Staff, Correspondent (2007), TV channels off air in AJK, Daily Dawn, http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/08/nat7.htm, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
3. ^ * Dawn, Reporter (2007), Gen Musharraf’s second coup : •Charge-sheet against judiciary •Media ‘promoting negativism’ •Country’s ‘integrity at stake’ •Legislatures intact, Daily Dawn, http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/04/top1.htm, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
4. ^ * Borger, Julian (2008-01-22), Musharraf finally lifts ban on TV news channel, London: The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/22/pakistan.television, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
5. ^ * Geo News shut down on President's order in parts of country, The News, 2009, http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=71429, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
6. ^ * Ditz, Jason (2009), Pakistan Orders TV News Channel Silenced, Anti War News, http://news.antiwar.com/2009/03/13/pakistan-orders-tv-news-channel-silenced/, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
7. ^ * Correspondent, Khabrein.Info (2009), Zardari banned Geo TV bypassing Gilani, Sherry Rahman, Khabrein.info, http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20850&Itemid=57, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
8. ^ * Sherry Rehman's resignation now official, Daily Dawn, 2009, http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/Dawn%20Content%20Library/dawn/news/pakistan/sherry-rehman-resigns-from-federal-cabinet--za, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
9. ^ * Zein, Basravi (2009-03-14), Pakistan TV station reportedly blocked in parts of country, CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/14/pakistan.minister/index.html, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
10. ^ * Hamid, Mir (2009), Crackdown on media proposed Sherry threatens resignation; govt terms report baseless, The News, http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20606, retrieved 2009-03-14 .
11. ^ * Sherry Rehman resigns, Daily Times, 2009, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\03\14\story_14-3-2009_pg1_4, retrieved 2009-03-15 .
12. ^ * Khalid, Saadia (2009), Countrywide protest against media curbs, The News, http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20927, retrieved 2009-03-15 .

External links

• Official website