Media Stakeholders Urge Government to Reconsider Advertising Ban

Butwal. Media stakeholders have urged the government to reconsider its policy of banning advertisements and public notices to private media, stating that the communication sector is in crisis. Speakers at the two-day fourth national media conference, which began on Saturday, organized by the Federation of Publications and Broadcasting Lumbini, co-organized by the Nepal Media Society, and in collaboration with the Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, described the advertising ban as a challenging step for freedom of expression and democracy.

Inaugurating the conference, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Khelraj Pandey said that any policy that weakens the media cannot be successful in the long run. He opined that the advertising ban is not practical as local levels in remote areas need national and private media to disseminate their information to citizens.