Cabinet Approves Clean Feed Policy

July 24:  Foreign pay television channels telecasting in Nepal have been barred from running advertisements.  The meeting of cabinet of ministers on Friday approved ‘Clean Feed Policy’ in a bid to prohibit foreign pay television channels to run advertisement. However, the implemented policy will not block advertisement in foreign TV channels immediately due to the lack of required law and structure. The policy will be implemented on monthly paid television channels only. Freely telecasted foreign TV channels are exempted from the policy.  In the country, various new channels are telecasted free whereas sports and entertainment channels are required to pay monthly.

“Clean feed policy has been implemented in order to end obligation of watching paid advertisement,” said Pushkar Raj Nepal, Under Secretary (Legal) of Information and Communication Ministry.  “Task plan in order to formulate required legal structure, rules and regulation has already been submitted. The policy will be implemented within the current year after formulating all mechanisms,” he added.

Meanwhile, Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN) has welcomed the government’s decision of implementing clean feed policy. “AAN has been demanding the implementation of the ‘Clean Feed Policy’ since long time. Now that it has been implemented, it has provided relief to Nepali communication medium, advertisement industry, consumers and other stakeholders,” said AAN. AAN explained that foreign TV channels are getting double income through advertisements and monthly pay which was hindering growth of Nepali channels and advertisement industry. AAN claims that free telecasting of foreign advertisements has hampered Nepali advertisement market. The implementation of clean feed policy will block foreign advertisements encouraging Nepali custom in the advertisements. Additionally, it will also increase revenue for the government.