ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s leading news broadcaster, Geo News, experienced a temporary disruption to its satellite transmission after unidentified elements allegedly hacked its satellite frequency, replacing the regular broadcast with unauthorised content.
Viewers across different parts of the country reported that Geo News suddenly went off-air on satellite, displaying a message stating, “This channel is currently unavailable. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Shortly afterwards, the screen showed an image containing a message in Urdu against an explosion and the Pakistani flag, indicating a clear breach of broadcast security.
The incident appeared to be limited to the satellite feed, while digital platforms and other distribution channels remained functional. Initial reports suggest that the channel’s satellite frequency may have been interfered with or overridden by unauthorized signals, a method often associated with signal hijacking.
However, technical experts say such incidents typically involve uplink interference or frequency spoofing, which can temporarily replace a broadcaster’s content if transmission safeguards are compromised.
Management of Geo confirmed the hack and responded that Geo News has faced hacking attempts on its PakSat transmission over the past 24 hours, during which an inappropriate message was aired. They termed it an external intrusion and urged authorities to investigate and take action against those responsible.
