Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the grouses of local artistes are being addressed after they launched a boycott of mainstream television last month.

He said the government has already initiated efforts to resolve most of their grouses including their demand for a fairer allocation of television programmes slot.

"Many such issues is already under way (to be resolved),” Shabery ( right ) told journalists in Putrajaya today.

He said the government is also in the midst of setting up a “pitching centre” for television programmes makers to propose their ideas.

In October, several local artistes banded together to launch the 'Switch Off '14 – Program Interrupted' campaign which was led by the Federation of Screen Guild Malaysia president (Gafim) Jurey Latiff Rosli.

Among the groups’ demands included higher fees for creative works, introducing a Creative Content Industry Act, fairer intellectual property laws, and fairer allocation of TV programming slots with emphasis on having 70 percent local content.

However, on the proposed Creative Content Industry Act, he said there is already similar law like the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Act and the Broadcasting Act.

Nonetheless, Shabery said he had asked Finas to engage the Switch Off '14 group.

"I have asked Finas to negotiate with them and ask them to send in their proposals for the draft legislation of the Creative Content Industry Act.

"If there is a need for a new Act, we need to see what is the proposal," he said.

'No relulatory body now for TV stations'

Meanwhile, Switch Off '14's chief Jurey said the Creative Content Industry Act would differ from the Finas Act as it encompasses all forms of creative work be it film, television or on the internet.

"We have the Finas Act but it was creaed in the 1980s for film only," Jurey ( right ) told Malaysiakini when contacted.

As of now, he said, there is no regulatory body to oversee how television stations manage their programme slots and pricing.

With the creation of the new law, he added, there would be a standard where television stations can abide by.