BOL Network

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BOL Network
Native name
بول
Bol (lit. 'speak')
TypePrivate
IndustryMedia and publishing house
FoundedJune 2013
Headquarters
Karachi
,
Pakistan
Area served
Pakistan
Key people
ParentAxact
Websitebolnetwork.com

BOL Network (Urdu: بول نیٹ ورک) is a Pakistani TV network. It is owned by Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh through its parent company Axact.[3][4][5] The company's head office is located in Karachi and called Bolistan,[6] and it has regional headquarters in Lahore and Islamabad.[6]

When Axact was revealed to be a diploma mill, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) temporarily revoked the license that it had awarded Bol.

History[edit]

The BOL Network was started by Pakistani businessman Shoaib Ahmed Sheikh in June 2013, and according to him, it was meant to create an independent media house to portray a soft image of Pakistan and several notable journalists joined the network at that time.[7]

It claims to have offered insurance of up to Rs. 10 million to cable operators.[8] In 2014, BOL Network advertised on more than 20,000 public transport vehicles in Pakistan.[9] The company also announced a television set brand by the name of BG.[10]

In 2017, Bol was accused of defaming politician Ishaq Dar.[11]

In September 2022, PEMRA again revoked the network's license due to the channel failing to acquire security clearance.[12][13]

Axact Scandal[edit]

Main article: Axact

Involvement[edit]

When the offices of Axact were raided by the authorities, Bol Network provided digital satellite news gathering vehicles to block journalists from accessing to the building.[14] In the course of the investigation, Bol was accused of using illegally imported equiment.[15]

Aftermath[edit]

Many journalists and other senior staff, including the editor-in-chief Kamran Khan,[16] resigned in the course of the scandal.[17][18][19][20][21]

In August 2015, ARY Digital Network announced that they would take over the business and incorporate into their network,[22] but these plans eventually failed.[23][better source needed]

Programs[edit]

Main article: List of Programmes Broadcast by BOL Entertainment

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Shoaib Shaikh - BOL Leadership". www.bolnews.com.
  2. ^ Faysal Aziz Khan Profile on Bol News
  3. ^ "BOL Network boss promises biggest ever corporate launch". journalismpakistan.com.
  4. ^ Talal, Syed. "ARY Quits BOL Network Takeover". Prop Pakistani.
  5. ^ Declan Walsh (17 May 2015). "Fake Diplomas, Real Cash: Pakistani Company Axact Reaps Millions". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b "BOL Builds State-of-the-art Infrastructure in Pakistan". Bolnetwork.com. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Big Names in Pakistani Media Making the Move to BOL TV". ZemTV.
  8. ^ "BOL Network announces free lifeinsurance of up to Rs. 1 crore to cable operators across Pakistan - Pakistan Tribe". www.pakistantribe.com. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  9. ^ "BOL Family Program providing Rozgar upgrading Public Transport: Simply CSR or Brilliant Marketing Strategy?". Media Watch 360.
  10. ^ "BOL Group Introduces Its Very Own TV brand – BG!". www.bolnetwork.com. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Ishaq Dar Sends Legal Notice to Bol TV & Dr. Shahid Masood". 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Pakistan: BOL broadcast suspended across Pakistan / IFJ". www.ifj.org. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  13. ^ Dawn.com (5 September 2022). "Pemra orders 'immediate' closure of Bol News broadcast citing failure to obtain security clearance". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  14. ^ "'Fake degrees mill' FIA raids Axact offices". The Express Tribune. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Equipment at Bol TV 'imported illegally'". The Express Tribune. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Kamran Khan quits Axact's BOL Network". Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  17. ^ Imtiaz, Saba (23 May 2015). "Pakistani Journalists Resign to Cut Ties to Axact, a Fake Diploma Company". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Kamran Khan Azhar Abbas other senior journalists quit Bol".
  19. ^ "Exodus in the making: Senior journalists quit Bol TV as Axact controversy deepens". The Express Tribune. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  20. ^ "Kamran Khan on Twitter". Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  21. ^ "Exodus in the making: Senior journalists quit Bol TV as Axact controversy deepens". The Express Tribune. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  22. ^ "ARY CEO and Founder Salman Iqbal takes over BOL Network management — says BOL will be launched in three weeks". ARY SERVICES LTD UK. ARYNEWS.tv. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  23. ^ "Twitter Status". Twitter.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=BOL_Network&oldid=1158007294"