The growth and expansion of Radio, Television and Film in Pakistan

Among the social needs of man, communication with others, is the biggest need that one has got to fulfil. Today when the world has been turned into a global village, living without awareness of the incidents taking place around him, one cannot survive well. The means of media satisfy this social need of man. Print and the electronic media are the two known forms of communication. Our concern is with the section of electronic media, so we will keep ourselves confined to the Growth and Expansion of Radio, TV and Film in Pakistan, since 1947.

The radio, TV and the cinema are a means of informal education to the masses as well as a means of entertainment. These are the major sources of communication for the people of Pakistan. Apart from formal learning in the schools and other formal institutions, one can learn a lot from these means, Through them the brains of the subjects can be inculcated with social norms, general knowledge and the situation of the world around them. Directly, they keep the masses aware of the global scene, and the political and economic scenario of their on country. They play an active role in helping the public in developing their political consciousness and making them a civilized nation.

Radio

Among the three means, we are concerned with here, radio is the oldest mean, still it caters to a large number of people in our country, specifically the rural areas of less developed provinces like Khyber Pakhtun Khwa and Baluchistan.

According to a survey taken by BBC in 2008, from more than 4000 adults, the radio listener-ship is the highest in Sindh’s rural areas, followed by KPK and Baluchistan. While its lowest in Punjab. Such results are due to the availability and non availability of other modern communication devices in the provinces. The following charts show the detailed results. The first chart shows the percentage of adult radio listener-ship in the urban areas of the provinces while the other concerns with rural areas.

Urban Areas

Punjab 24%

Sindh 41%

KPK 43%

Baluchistan 53%

Rural Areas

Punjab 19%

Sindh 60%

KPK 53%

Baluchistan 53%

Taliban held control of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas for a significant period of time. In those areas the main source of entertainment and news was radio as religious extremists disrupted television broadcasts through frequent sabotages. Popular newspapers are also not available, as it would risk the sellers life. The television sets prove to be too expensive to be bought by the people there in addition to the problem of supply of electricity. So the only reliable means of communication for the tribesmen is Radio.

History

It was on 14^th August 1947, the day when Pakistan came into being was the same day when these words were spoken:

“THIS IS RADIO PAKISTAN”

instead of,

“THIS IS ALL INDIA RADIO”

by Zahoor Aazar in English and Mustafa Ali Hamdani in Urdu.

Commonly known as Radio Pakistan, The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation came into being as Pakistan Broadcasting Service on 14 August 1947 when Pakistan emerged on the world map as a new country. It was a descend from the Indian Broadcasting Company, (All India Radio). At the time of independence, Pakistan possessed three radio stations at Dhaka (1939), Lahore (1937) and Peshawar (1936.)

Development with time:

With the passage of time, the Radio Pakistan began to develop. New stations were opened at Karachi and Rawalpindi in 1948, a new broadcasting house at Karachi (1950), new stations at Hyderabad (1951), Quetta (1956), another station at Rawalpindi (1960) and a receiving center in Peshawar in the same year. Khiarpur and Bahawalpur centers were opened in 1974 and 1975 respectively.

Attention was paid to the training as well and training facilities began to be provided in Islamabad and Multan in 1970. Radio Pakistan’s world service was started on 1 April 1973.

In 1977, the radio service reached to the remotest parts o the country like Gilgit and Skardu. In the period of 1981-82, Radio began transmission in Turbat, Dera Ismael Khan, Khuzdar, and Faisalabad. Afterwards, new stations at Sibi, Abbotabad, Chitral, Loralai and Zhob.

The introduction of FM channels:

FM transmissions were first started by Radio Pakistan in October 1998. Over the period of 2002-2005, new stations were opened at Islamabad, Gwader, mianwali, Sargodha, Kohat, Bannu and Mithi and others in the later years. slamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta and Karachi are the main stations. In 2008 National Broadcasting Service (NBS) was launched concerning with the current affairs. In 2009, a Community FM channel, known as FM 93 was launched with 22 stations across Pakistan.

First English Channel was launched in Islamabad, called Planet 94, operating on FM 94. two more English language based channels are to be launched in Lahore and Karachi.

On November 14 PBC launched its first English Music Channel in Islamabad called Planet 94. The network operates on FM 94. The second and third stations of the English channel are soon to start their transmissions from Lahore and Karachi.

Programs

The Radio presents programs mainly on information, music, sports and entertainment. A number of channels deal with providing news and other stuff. A wide range of radio stations are popular in Pakistan. Opposed to focusing merely on local and international news, the radio channels focus more on entertainment programs. The Pakistan Radio presents programs in 16 different languages and has more than 31 channels all around the country.

Illegal channels

Most commonly in KPK and FATA region, there are found illegal radio channels which provide erroneous information to the respective listeners. According to a report of PEMRA in 2009, there were more than 100illegal stations run by religious extremists, in FATA alone. So the public there is unaware of the developments outside their own areas or events outside Pakistan. These illegal channels are a challenge to the state as they affect the educational and developmental efforts negatively. They campaign against the polio elimination programs, block other health related and educational services of the government.

To overcome such a problem, the government has allowed the FM channels to transmit their programs there, but they are state governed. The private FM channels are not getting licenses, currently. Radio Pakistan’s programs are also under strict observation.

Role of PEMRA

PEMRA is an independent corporate body which has been established with effect from 1 st March, 2002 in order to:

1- Improve the standard of information, education and entertainment.

2- Enlarge the choice available to the people of Pakistan in the media for news, current affairs, religious knowledge, art, culture, science, technology, economic development, social sector concerns, music, sports, drama and other subjects of public and national interest.

3- Facilitate the devolution of responsibility and power to the grass roots improving the access of the people to mass media at the local and community level.

4- Ensure accountability, transparency and good governance of optimizing the free flow of information.

These are the four objectives of PEMRA and its working to ensure the quality and quantity of the programs is increasing for the listeners of Radio or the viewers of TV or Film in Pakistan. Till now PEMRA has issued licenses to:

14 channels in Baluchistan

29 in Khyber Pakhtun Khwa

12 in northern areas and Azad Kashmir

78 in Punjab

37 in Sindh

Today, there are over a hundred public and private radio stations due to more liberal media regulations. FM broadcast licenses are awarded to parties that commit to open FM broadcasting stations in at least one rural city along with the major city of their choice.

TELEVISION

The television is more common in the urban areas of Pakistan whereas in Rural areas the major means is still the radio. Today it is playing a vital role in creating awareness in the masses. Its a better device than radio as it provides video features in addition to auditory ones, making it more interesting for the public. A large number of Pakistanis has access to this modern device though its expensive to buy. Its more accessible in the developed areas as compared to the underdeveloped ones due to the low living standards and the availability of the electricity.

Urban Area Access

Sindh 93

Punjab 90

KPK 83

Baluchistan 81

Rural Area Access

Sindh 65

Punjab 71

KPK 62

Baluchistan 47

This miraculous device was invented by Philo Frarsworth in September 1927. In Pakistan, Television was first time introduced in an exhibition near Mazar-e- Quaid on 16 September 1955. It was a short circuit television for audiences meant for entertainment purpose. This event was arranged by American Embassy to let the Pakistani public see the miraculous invention.

After radio, television is the most common means of communication in Pakistan. But in Urban areas of Pakistan, television is more in use than radio. The following chart shows the results of a research held to see the usage of the two mediums in the major cities of Pakistan. The television is seen by a percentage of 79, whereas radio is listened by 37% of the public, in urban areas of Pakistan.

Access to satellite has only a one time cost to the consumer. Such a thing has let even the low income earners t have access to satellite as a means of their communication to the world. 49% of such earners in urban areas has access to it. But the situation in the rural areas is a bit different. The level of poverty, lack of proper transmission signals and poor electricity infrastructure, are a cause of low access in these areas.

Beginning and early history:

The idea of establishing the television industry in Pakistan was conceived by the National Education Commission with the support of President Ayub Khan. In 1961 Syed Wajid Ali established a private television broadcasting company with the cooperation of Nipon Electric Company (NEC) of Japan, and Thomas Television International of The Great Britain.

Since 1963, the headquarters of this television industry are located in Islamabad. Before that the headquarters were in Lahore i.e. from 1961-1962.

On 26 November 1964, first news were broadcasted which beamed black and white transmission by the PTV. The television division in the Punjab Province was established with the help of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)). Private industries commercials were permitted with no fee, initially all the commercials of industrial conglomerates were tax-free and there were no additional charges at that time.

The PTV remained a private institution until its shares were sold to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. After the first transmission in 1964 from Lahore, there were further transmissions from Dhaka, Rawalpindi and Islamabad in 1965 and in 1966 in Karachi.

PTV was brought under the complete control of the state in 1971, under the Nationalization Program, and the service was expanded all over the country. Centers were opened in Peshawar and Quetta in 1974. in 1976 it began color transmission. In 1987 Pakistan Television Academy was founded in 1987 to train the students who wished to be in this field.

During the decades of 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s PTV teleplays were the best considered programs of the subcontinent and were known all around the world. Dramas like Khuda Ki Basti, Unkahi, Tanhaiyaan, Aangan Terha, Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai, Studio Ponay Teen, Andhera Ujala, Sona Chandi, Uncle Urfi, Taleeem e Balighan, Alif Noon, Waaris, Dhoop Kinare, Sunehray Din, Alpha Bravo Charlie and Ana,are to count but a few, which were the main reason of its fame.

Further Development

There were private productions but they were run by PTV. PTV’s monopoly ended when there was a bloom of private channels in the country, after PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) which was formerly known as (RAMBO- regulatory Authority for Media and Broadcast Organizations) gave licenses to private channels. By the end of 2009, 77 national and egional satellites and cable television channels had been licensed.

Further the loosening of state licensing controls greatly expanded the reach of TV in Pakistan. the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) effectively bisected the television market between terrestrial TV broadcasting and new privately-run satellite and cable channels. The PTV remains the only free terrestrial TV network in the country, with channels offering news, entertainment, regional language programming, programming for Pakistanis abroad and the AJK-TV channel that broadcasts in the Kashmiri language for the people of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The private channels have made people more aware of their political and constitutional rights and made them more informed about news and events outside Pakistan. The liberalization of the electronic media sector was originally a strategy to counter Indian media influence, but the empowered group of new television outlets were willing to expose and challenge the authoritarian behavior of the Pakistani government. By 2007, these new outlets had become important conduits for political news and information.

PTV and Private Channels:

Beginning in 2002, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA, formerly RAMBO – Regulatory Authority for Media and Broadcast Organizations) effectively bisected the television market between terrestrial TV broadcasting (dominated by the state-run Pakistan Television network, or PTV) and new privately-run satellite and cable channels.

PTV:

PTV is the state owned television network which operates on both terrestrial and satellite. Nationwide it has 5 channels viz National, Home, News, Sports and Global. Under Regional ones it has Bolan and AJK TV. Pakistan Television Network also plans to start new channels which include: PTV English, Abaseen (Pushtu language channel), Mehran (Sindhi Language Channel), Punjnad (Punjabi Language Channel)

PTV’s general programming mostly deals with morality, civic or national responsibilities, drive against narcotics, environmental pollution and agricultural reforms.

The channels under PTV are family oriented they show eastern family programs to cater the needs of local audience. It also acts on social development theory of media, that’s why it shows informative programs about health and social issues. It also censors commercials and holds a conservative standard as compared to other channels. In addition it supports government policies on national and international matters.

Private channels:

On 15th July 1990 Pakistan’s First Private Channel, Peoples Television Network Started Its Transmission in Pakistan. But PTV remained dominant in viewer-ship all around the country. It was not until 2002, when Gen Pervaiz Musharraf issued the ordinance for launching the private TV channels. Nearly 100 Channels Came On TV Screen Like News, Entertainment, Sports, Religion, Infotainment, Music, Cooking And Business Etc. these channels are providing quality programs all over the country. These channels are transmitting in different local languages as well. The news channels has progressed very fast and are playing an important role in creating awareness in the people of Pakistan. According to a survey held in 2007, the talk shows were being seen with more interest than dramas or any other entertainment program. The trend tells that a change in Pakistani minds has taken place. The people are more concerned about their country. They listen to the politician very carefully. It brings them a chance to decide cautiously at the time of elections and thus the whole system can be changed through these TV programs.

Role of PEMRA:

Since the loosening of licensing controls, the number of households with access to either cable or satellite TV has also increased substantially. According to PEMRA, some 8 million Pakistani households now have access to cable TV. PEMRA itself can be partly credited for the recent boost in cable TV access, as it has continued to freely license local cable TV systems, which totaled 2,346 by the end of the 2009.

Film

The film refers to the cinema of Pakistan. Most of the films produced in Pakistan are in Urdu language. Other languages include English, Punjabi, Ashton, Balochi and Sindhi. Pakistan’s largest film industry is Lollywood. The Pakistani film industry is credited with having produced some of the most notable and recognized filmmakers, actors, writers and directors, and for introducing pop music to South Asia and beyond. Competition from Bollywood and piracy, however, have led to the industry’s decline.

History

Before partition Pakistan and India had a same film industry. Pakistan at that time was running under many problems including the poor financial condition. The shortage of film equipment further paralyzed the industry. despite of these hardships, Pakistan made its first film ‘Teri Yaad’ in august 1948. Then a studio was opened by Ever-new Productions in the 1949. Before ‘Do Aansu’, all the previous films produced reached mediocre success. ‘Do Aansu’ reached Silver Jubilee status. The cinema viewer-ship increased with time, and another film ‘Sassi’ reached Golden Jubilee in 1954. to acknowledge the work of the artists Ilyas Rashidi, a journalist, launched an annual awarding event in 1958. the event was named as “Nigar Awards”. Firstly, the cinema produced films in black and white, in later years it introduced colored films. The first full length colored film was ‘Sangam’, which was released in 1964. Indian films were also shown in Pakistan.

Cinema Progress Timeline

(1959-1969)

The decade of 60’s is considered as the golden age of Pakistani cinema. It was the reign of President Ayub Khan. Many a stars got the status of legends at that time. The industry at that time had stabilized to some extent, and was financially in a good position. The relations between the two countries were not much friendly at that time. The censor board started banning the films. The first one was ‘Bombay Waallah’, which did not came under scrutiny from the censor board for having a name that represented a city in India in the wake of the growing tension between the region. The industry raised the Palestine issue as well through ts films. Due to an armed conflict between India and Pakistan, all Indian films came under a ban on showing in Pakistani cinemas. The ban existed till 1952 in west Pakistan and till 1962 in the eastern wing of the country. This enhanced the viewer-ship for the national films and Pakistan had not to suffer any lose.

(1970-1977)

In the war of 1971, Pakistan lost its Dacca wing and so the Bangladesh cinema as well. The more influential workers of the Pakistani cinema left for the new country. This caused a serious brain drain and the Pakistani industry was at the brink of collapse. The support to the industry was given by the release of film ‘Dosti’, which received the status of Diamond Jubilee.

The VCR (video cassette recorder) was introduced in the country in id 70’s and instantly films from all over the world were copied onto tape, and attendance at cinemas decreased when people preferred to watch films in the comfort of their homes. This ushered the birth of the film piracy industry films began to be copied on tapes on the day they premiered in cinemas.

In 1976 Pakistan made its first English film named as beyond the last mountain. The film ‘Aina’ released in 1977 was the most famous film of Pakistan and still considered one.

(1977-1987)

It was the time when General Zia ul Haq began to Islamicize the country. This step of Islamization made the film industry suffer a lot. Imposition of new registration laws for film producers requiring filmmakers to be degree holders, where not many were, led to a steep decline in the workings of the industry. The government forcibly closed most of the cinemas in Lahore. New tax rates were introduced, further decreasing cinema attendances. Films dropped from a total output of 98 films in 1979, of which 42 were in Urdu, to only 58 films (26 in Urdu) in 1980. the film makers started producing films that showed violence as the new laws were not permitting them to make films based on affection. Such films filled with gory were not welcomed by the middle class rather a low earning segment liked such films. The cinema culture became to be known as the Gandassa culture. Pakistan made its first science fiction film in 1989 which received awards at Moscow Film Festival and even in Egypt and Korea but the country men didn’t pay it much attention.

(1988-2002)

At the starts of the 1990s, Pakistan’s film industry was gripped with certain doom. Of the several studios only 11 were operational in the ’70s and ’80s producing around 100 films annually. This number would lower further as studio went towards producing short-plays and television commercials and let the industry astray in the wake of cable television. By the early ’90s, the annual output dropped to around 40 films, all produced by a single studio. Other productions would be independent of any studio usually financed by the filmmakers themselves.

After the production of ‘Jinnah’ the actors started working across the borders from both the sides.

After the release of ‘Choorian’, the investors started taking keen interest in Pakistani films. However, the short period of successes in the industry could not keep the cinemas afloat, and the same industry that at one time produced more than a 100 films annually a decade ago was now reduced to merely 32 per year, in the year 2003.

(2003-2009)

In early 2003, filmmakers tried another time to make quality local films. The revival of cinema was much needed. It was the time when Indian directors started taking Pakistani talent in the form of singer and actors in their films. The Indian films were again in the cinemas. This gave support to the vanishing cinema but badly affected the local film making industry. In August, 2007, a new film titled Khuda Ke Liye was released. It became popular due to its controversial theme of the current problems faced in Pakistan. It was also released internationally, including in India, where it became the first Pakistani film released after four decades. The film was released in more than a 100 cinemas in 20 cities in India.

Cinema Today

The progress continues to be in a slow pace. With efforts from a private channel in Pakistan with a campaign named “revival of cinema”. It resulted in the launch of “Pakistan New Cinema Movement” in 2009, with around 1400 members. This is a grass root organization that facilitates networking and publishes articles in an effort to stimulate production. New films are being produced in Pakistan but still in a limited number.