Geo TV
Encyclopedia
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistan
i television network
, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation
. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002. Geo is an Urdu
word meaning live on.
in the United Arab Emirates
. Its uplink
teleport station is Samacom, the uplink provider in the UAE. Geo TV is currently being aired on Asiasat
3s.
and GEO News. Following the controversial suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
by President Pervez Musharraf, GEO News began drawing international attention to demonstrations against the government. The suspension of GEO News broadcasts was followed by a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
(PEMRA) ordinance that introduced a code of conduct, increasing the liability of each channel over their broadcasts.
Pakistanis were still able to watch GEO through satellite
and high speed broadband access until November 17, 2007, when the channel was completely removed off the air, as authorities in Dubai concluded that the channel had failed to meet certain media regulations and broadcasting standards of Dubai Media City
, in the United Arab Emirates
The station had been banned in Pakistan since November 3. The station continued to be available through internet streaming.
Transmission of the Geo News channel was restored by Dubai Media City (DMC) and IMC Dubai authorities from midnight 29 November 2007.
On 19 January 2008, after 77 days, President Pervez Musharraf, after intense pressure, ordered relevant authorities to immediately relay the transmission of the channel. Geo News, and Geo Super resumed transmission on 21 January 2008. Geo however, now operates and uplinks from Karachi, Pakistan.
In September 2008, Geo TV broadcast a show, Aalim Online, presented by Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, a former minister for religious affairs in which the followers of the Ahmadiyya
sect were labelled "liable for death" by the Pakistani Muslim scholars. The programme was noted for being coinciding with the anniversary of a change in Pakistan's constitution
in 1974 that officially classified Ahmadis as "non-Muslims". Two prominent Ahmadi leaders were murdered in Pakistan shortly after Aalim Online was televised.
in larger cities of Pakistan. Apparently, the reason was the coverage by the channel of the "long march", the protest movement of the law Pakistan for the restoration of the justices . Information minister Sherry Rehman resigend in protest.
On 24 November 2009, the popular show "Meray Mutabiq" by Dr. Shahid Masood was again banned from transmission by the Dubai authorities on pressure by high officials of the government of Pakistan
on the latter's appeal granted stay order against this move.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation
Independent Media Corporation
The Independent Media Corporation is one of Pakistan's largest media conglomerates. It started with the publications of the Jang Group of Newspapers and later added the Geo Network to its offerings.- Shareholders :...
. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002. Geo is an Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
word meaning live on.
Geo Television Network
Geo Television Network began with Geo TV and has since launched several other Pakistan-based channels, including:- GEO Entertainment - an entertainment channel featuring musical programs, Dramas and films, primarily in Urdu.
- GEO NewsGEO NewsGeo 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.- Popular Shows :...
- an Urdu news channel. - GEO SuperGEO SuperGeo Super is the first 24-hour Pakistani channel dedicated to the world of sports. It belongs to Independent Media Corporation, owner of the Jang Group of Newspapers.-Launch:...
- a 24-hour sports channel devoted mainly to cricket, with a secondary focus on boxing, football, tennis and field hockey. - AAG TVAAG TVAAG TV is a youth entertainment channel in Pakistan, owned by Independent Media Corporation . The Urdu word "aag" means "fire."...
- a channel featuring youth programming.
Planned Channels
- GEO EnglishGEO EnglishGEO English was a planned English language news television channel from the Geo TV network in Pakistan. Until the time of it being scrapped in late October 2008, it was running its test transmission internally in Karachi, having Owais Tohid as its Director News.The channel has now been scrapped,...
- an English news channel. - GEO KidsGEO KidsGEO Kids is forthcoming kids television channel in Pakistan. It is the fifth channel launched by GEO TV after GEO, AAG, GEO News and GEO Super. After the launch of Geo TV, they declared that ten new channels will be launched. Hence it is the fifth channel of the ten ....
- a children's channel. - GEO Film - a movie's channel.
- FIRE RECORDSFire RecordsFire Records was an independent record label set up in 1959 by Bobby Robinson . Among others, it released records by Lightnin' Hopkins, Elmore James and Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup.-Selected discography:...
a label which destroyed the industry of pakistani music
Market Share,,
Experts says that Geo group still had a good market share in Pakistani media market, an independent analyst said in his page that Geo news had 18 percent in whole and Geo super had during days of World Cup 2011 of cricket the market share of 58 percent in whole that was record.Geo Dost
Geo Dost (meaning friends of Geo) is a Geo TV portal that offers ordinary citizens the chance to report the news, whether it be funny or serious.Geo Films
Geo Network has released several movies under the Geo Films banner, including:- SalakhainSalakhainSalakhain is a Lollywood film which was released in 2004. Stars included Ahmed Butt, Zara Sheikh and Meera. Music was composed by M Arshad. Sajid Hassan and Saud were cast as villains with Shafi Muhammad as their boss.- Synopsis :...
(2004) - Khuda Ke LiyeKhuda Ke LiyeKhuda Kay Liye is a 2007 Pakistani Urdu-language drama film written, directed and produced by Shoaib Mansoor, starring Shaan, Iman Ali, Fawad Afzal Khan and Hameed Sheikh...
(2007) - ZibahkhanaZibahkhanaZibahkhana is an Urdu-English slasher film directed by Omar Khan. It premiered at the NatFilm Festival in Denmark and has since been screened at festivals all over the world including Toronto, New York City, London, Neuchatel, Stockholm, Cape Town, Austin, Philadelphia, Cambridge, Puerto Rico,...
(2007) - Mohabbataan SachiyaanMohabbataan SachiyaanMohabbataan Sachiyaan is a Pakistani Punjabi film directed by Shahzad Rafique which was released across theaters in Pakistan on October 14, 2007.The background singers include Sonu Nigam, Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan and Richa Sharma.-Plot:...
(2007) - Ramchand PakistaniRamchand PakistaniRamchand Pakistani is a Pakistani Urdu film that tells a true story about a boy who inadvertently crosses the border between Pakistan and India and the following ordeal that his family has to go through.-Synopsis:...
(2008) - VirsaVirsaVirsa is a Punjabi language film revolving around social and cultural values. The film is a joint venture between India and Pakistan.It has been directed by Pankaj Batra. It has a huge budget for a Punjabi movie...
(2010) - Bol (2011)
Programs
- Tanha hi tou hai
- Tanveer Fatima B.A
- Banana News Network
- Tootay Howay Per
- Yeh Zindagi Hai
- Zip Bus Chup Raho
- The Shareef Show
- Suron Ki Jhanak
- Safeer-E-Pakistan
- Ruswa
- Qutbuddin
- Naat/Qawallis
- Alif Laam Meem
- Utho Jago Pakistan
- Dil Tum Ko Day Diay
- Piya Naam Ka Diya
- Ladies Park
- Kaisay Kahoon
- Meri Adhoori Mohabbat
- Rahat's Cooking
- Bachay Maan Kay Sachay
- Suron Ki Jhanak
- Reshmi
- Meri Subha Ka Sitara
- The Sahir Show
- Massi Aur Malka
- Libas
- Tum ho kay Chup
- Nadaniyan
- Daddy
Technical
Geo TV's broadcast facilities are based at Dubai Media CityDubai Media City
Dubai Media City , part of Dubai Holding, is a tax-free zone within Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has been built by the Dubai government to boost UAE's media foothold, and has become a regional hub for media organizations including news agencies, publishing, online media, advertising, production,...
in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. Its uplink
Uplink
A telecommunications link is generally one of several types of information transmission paths such as those provided by communication satellites to connect two points on earth.-Uplink:...
teleport station is Samacom, the uplink provider in the UAE. Geo TV is currently being aired on Asiasat
AsiaSat
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. is a commercial operator of communication spacecraft. AsiaSat is based in Hong Kong with two major shareholders, CITIC and General Electric.-Satellites:...
3s.
Awards
- A documentary by Geo covering water scarcity in the Indus riverIndus RiverThe Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
delta won "The Special Prize of H.S.H. Prince Rainier III" at the Monte Carlo TV Festival. - Geo was awarded a special award in 2005 at the Nouticaslo TV festival.
- On April 20, 2004 at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan areaThe Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Mir Ibrahim Rahman, chief executive of Geo TV, received an International Broadcast Excellence Award for the impact the channel has had on Pakistan.
Controversies
Since 2007, Geo TV has been involved in several controversies with different governments of Pakistan and, at times, has been forced to partially stop transmission.2007
On November 3, 2007, the Pakistani government (headed by Gen. Musharaf) halted the transmission of ARY One WorldARY One World
ARY News is a Dubai-based Pakistani news channel launched in 26 September 2004. A bilingual news channel in English and Urdu, it is a part of the ARY Digital Network, which is a subsidiary of ARY Group. It has a large audience and one main competitor in Geo News...
and GEO News. Following the controversial suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is the current Chief Justice of Pakistan.He became chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court in 2005 and soon became not only a central figure in the nation's political struggles but an icon to the country's legal profession and others campaigning for the rule of law...
by President Pervez Musharraf, GEO News began drawing international attention to demonstrations against the government. The suspension of GEO News broadcasts was followed by a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority is a regulatory body established by Pakistan on 1 March 2002.- Functions of the Authority :...
(PEMRA) ordinance that introduced a code of conduct, increasing the liability of each channel over their broadcasts.
Pakistanis were still able to watch GEO through satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
and high speed broadband access until November 17, 2007, when the channel was completely removed off the air, as authorities in Dubai concluded that the channel had failed to meet certain media regulations and broadcasting standards of Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City
Dubai Media City , part of Dubai Holding, is a tax-free zone within Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has been built by the Dubai government to boost UAE's media foothold, and has become a regional hub for media organizations including news agencies, publishing, online media, advertising, production,...
, in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
The station had been banned in Pakistan since November 3. The station continued to be available through internet streaming.
Transmission of the Geo News channel was restored by Dubai Media City (DMC) and IMC Dubai authorities from midnight 29 November 2007.
On 19 January 2008, after 77 days, President Pervez Musharraf, after intense pressure, ordered relevant authorities to immediately relay the transmission of the channel. Geo News, and Geo Super resumed transmission on 21 January 2008. Geo however, now operates and uplinks from Karachi, Pakistan.
2008
In June 2008, the UAE Government asked Geo to either drop two of its controversial talk shows or move its operations out of the country.In September 2008, Geo TV broadcast a show, Aalim Online, presented by Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussain, a former minister for religious affairs in which the followers of the Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
sect were labelled "liable for death" by the Pakistani Muslim scholars. The programme was noted for being coinciding with the anniversary of a change in Pakistan's constitution
Ordinance XX
Ordinance XX is an legal ordinance of the Government of Pakistan that was promulgated under the regime of General Zia-ul-Haq and is meant to restrict members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from applying certain Islamic terms to their own religious practices and beliefs.-Precedent:Ordinance XLIV...
in 1974 that officially classified Ahmadis as "non-Muslims". Two prominent Ahmadi leaders were murdered in Pakistan shortly after Aalim Online was televised.
2009
On Friday 13th, March 2009 Geo News was again banned on the orders of President Asif Ali ZardariAsif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....
in larger cities of Pakistan. Apparently, the reason was the coverage by the channel of the "long march", the protest movement of the law Pakistan for the restoration of the justices . Information minister Sherry Rehman resigend in protest.
On 24 November 2009, the popular show "Meray Mutabiq" by Dr. Shahid Masood was again banned from transmission by the Dubai authorities on pressure by high officials of the government of Pakistan
2010
In April 2010, Federal Board of Revenue raised tax demands against Messrs Independent Media Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd., to which Geo TV is a subsidiary, totaling to 1,680.000 million rupees; failing to what Deputy Commissioner, Inland Revenue, FBR, proceeded to arrest Geo TV directors; however, Sindh High CourtSindh High Court
The High Court of Sindh is the highest judicial institution of Sindh province. Established in 1906, it is situated at provincial capital Karachi. Apart from being the highest Court of Appeal for Sindh in civil and criminal matters, the Court was the District Court and the Court of Session in...
on the latter's appeal granted stay order against this move.