TV channels In Pakistan: Breaking News Without Substance

Television was introduced in Pakistan after fourteen years of its independence in 1964. Pakistan Television (PTV) was the only channel available for the viewers. The state and board of governors controlled its affairs and the Managing Director, were appointed by the Government of Pakistan. State-run television and radio monopolized news and current affairs for decades to come.

But State’s monopoly broke in 1990 when NTM ( Network Television Marketing), Former ( STN ) Shalimar Television Network Channel, Owned By Tahir A. Khan was introduced in the country under a 3 years agreement. Later this channel was shut down due to various administrative issues.

In late 2002 when Musharraf’s somewhat legitimized his rule, he began liberalizing the media by giving private broadcasting licenses. Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali’s government awarded broadcasting licenses to more than 66 private radio and television companies. Due to global market forces, by 2003 independent media had rapidly grown in Pakistan.

Currently there are around 70 local independent TV channels; more than 100 independent FM radio stations are also functioning. Independence of media, right to speech and freedom of expression are a part of basic democratic rights of a nation. Pakistan had struggled and faltered when this platform was fully controlled by the government. Now despite of several restrictions and strict media laws, media at least has the semblance of independence.

Being a media person in a state like Pakistan can be very challenging because of the low tolerance levels in our society. Electronic media is still playing a vital and often courageous role in the critical situation and influencing regional and world affairs.

But unfortunately media’s role in the past few years has given rise to many problems. News is broken before they actually unfold. The race for breaking the news first and repeatedly informing the viewers that, they have brought the latest news for them, is a very a common practice nowadays. You can easily imagine how it feels, when you hear news of a bomb blast that took hundreds of lives, and then the hosts claiming their channel to be the first to break this news. Main challenge is the race to cover the event with a speed of light and this urgency to beat competitors leads to erroneous reporting.

Repeatedly showing the dead bodies and other gruesome sights have become a norm of our media; footage of continuous blasts and killings, human body torn and mercilessly spread everywhere have frustrated, demoralized and discouraged the nation.

Issues we are covering on LIVE TV are harming our own interests. It seems as we have have lost our sense of priority and common sense of differentiating between issues that really matter with issues that are hardly news.

In the last few years Pakistan has faced severe economical and political instability. But our media continues its non-serious attitude. Political talk-shows sensationalized the situation. For better rating hosts are more eager to have skirmishes on their show rather than addressing common folks bread and butter issues. Instead of listening to their guests- they just talk and talk- I guess that is what they mean by saying “it is my TALK SHOW.” It is their Talk Show and they get to talk the most!

Not only these Hosts amplify the differences, promote and accentuate point of departures but they also give verdicts. The only international media these guys seem to copy is FOX News. They are aggressive, obnoxious and shocking; I am sure they don’t talk to their family when sitting on a dinning table with relatives and friends.

But still there are several journalists who take up real issues that effect real lives and create awareness among the public. Some journalists have played very impressive role in the times of crisis as we saw in the case of earthquake victims. I feel media is playing it’s role – maybe not as adequately and effectively as one would like.

I know it is clichéd but Pakistan is in a state of crisis; we are divided on political, ethnic and religious grounds. At this critical time our media can play the vital role in bringing together our nation, reuniting our political parties even if their mandates are different, because all of us at the end of the day are Pakistanis and want our country to prosper.