PTV to revamp programming policies

By Shoaib Ahmed

LAHORE: Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Managing Director Arshad Khan directed PTV to televise programmes that focused on “neglected segments” such as programmes for children, senior citizens and teenagers, PTV sources told Daily Times on Friday.

“Mr Khan has issued directions to the programming section to televise programmes at timings that would be most convenient for the section of viewers the programmes have been made for,” sources said. Mr Khan, who was formerly the chief executive of a mobile phone company, wants to re-engineer PTV’s programmes in accordance with present demand and financial output.

“PTV is now trying to effectively manage programming and marketing,” said Mr Khan. “With our new programme policies, we are trying to cater to people from all walks of life and of all age groups”. PTV was concentrating on setting the timings of programmes in such a way that PTV viewers of all ages and interests could watch those programmes easily, he said. PTV Lahore Center has invited a number of private theatre groups from educational institutions all over Punjab to stage plays for PTV at PTV studios.

“These plays will be recorded under a PTV producer’s guidance and will later be televised,” souces said. “The stage plays will be televised under the title of Natak.”

PTV Lahore Center has contacted National College of Arts (NCA), Government College, Kinnaird College and other colleges as well as theatre groups all over Punjab to participate in these plays. This initiative has been taken following Mr Khan’s direction that producer’s come up with “new and original” ideas for better programmes. Producers at all PTV centers have been directed to televise commercial value programmes to benefit PTV financially. Thus, PTV is reshaping programmes for women and introducing more programmes for women in urban and rural areas, sources said.

Sources disclosed that PTV had recently suffered losses amounting Rs 400 million as a result of which the government had give the new managing director the task of “streamlining things” at PTV.

“PTV had been suffering constant losses in its recovery of license fees,” sources said. “That is why Mr Khan introduced the idea of recovering TV license fees from domestic customers consuming over 100 units of electricity.” PTV Lahore General Manager Ashraf Azeem negotiated with WAPDA in this regard, sources added.

Mr Azeem took charge in May 2005 and has recovered Rs 40 million from various advertisement agencies since then, sources said.

“PTV had been self-financing a number of regional and national hook-up programmes,” said Mr Azeem. “After the managing directors directions, I put in a lot of effort to get sponsorships for programmes such as Haryali, Bazam-e-Tariq Aziz, Toatbatoat and an upcoming Punjabi serial, which has already been sponsored.”

Talking about PTV’s special transmission for August 14, Mr Azeem said that “Independence Day specials” would be televised from August 1 to August 14 under the title of ‘Salam Pakistan’.

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