Radio Pakistan enters digital era: PBC DG

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) Director General Murtaza Solangi has said that Radio Pakistan has entered into a digital era and now its programmes are available for people through different sources.
This he said while participating in a private television show devoted to revival of Radio Pakistan in the modern era, said a press release on Friday.
Solangi said, “Apart from traditional radio receivers, our broadcasts can also be listened, or watched, through mobile phone sets and live streaming through Internet enabled smart phones.” He said Radio Pakistan is the only government organisation that has a bilingual website and its programmes and news can be accessed in text, audio or video format.
When his attention was drawn towards golden age of radio drama and music, Murtaza Solangi said things have changed in this era of commercialisation when both people and artists have different options. He said Radio Pakistan’s financial constraints are major hurdles in attracting the right kind of talent and artists.
To a question, he said Radio Pakistan’s annual budget is not enough even to pay to its employees’ salaries and pensions worth Rs 3.8 billion. He said nowhere in the world a public broadcasting institution like Radio Pakistan functions without government support. He said unfortunately the licence fee of the organisation was abolished in 1999 through a finance bill by the then government despite the fact that it is received in almost all the countries.
Responding to question by a listener, he strongly dispelled the impression that medium wave transmitters are being closed and said there are parts of the country, especially Balochistan, where even thousands of FM transmitters would not do the job that a few medium-wave transmitters can. He, however, pointed out that for establishment of medium-wave transmitters; Radio Pakistan needs funds which are not forthcoming.
He said despite resource constraints, Radio Pakistan is installing a 400-KW transmitter in Peshawar and 100 in Dera Ismail Khan through USAID funding. Similarly, JICA is also setting up a 500-KW medium-wave transmitter at Faqirabad in Attock district. After completion of these projects, Radio Pakistan’s medium-wave transmission will get a big boost, he concluded.