OBJECTIVES OF BROADCASTING IN PAKISTAN:Information, Islamic ideology

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LESSON 03

OBJECTIVES OF BROADCASTING IN PAKISTAN

At the time of the emergence of Pakistan there were just three radio stations, i.e.; radio station Lahore, radio

station Dhaka and radio station Rawalpindi, in the newly born country.

Some specific areas were figured out in which the broadcasting in Pakistan concentrated in the coming

years. Right from the start until the early 90s of the last century, Radio Pakistan, which was later turned to

be called Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation in 1972, enjoyed complete monopoly in the realm of radio

broadcasting. This monopoly was though disturbed with the emergence of F.M. broadcast in the private

sector, but still the public sector medium enjoys the maximum approach to people with a wide range of

radio stations, F.M. and A.M. both, in every nook and corner of the country.

F.M. broadcast in third world countries in general and in Pakistan in particular, unfortunately and

mistakenly indeed, has been perceived as the kind of broadcast that is meant to play music and nothing else.

Hence the objective of setting up F.M. channels in Pakistan has been narrowed down to putting the

meaningless compering and all-the-time music, without any planning and potential, on air.

The A.M. broadcast, however, has selected certain important areas to broadcast for, may well be called the

objectives of broadcasting in Pakistan. They are as under:

1. Information

To give information about something is to convey about it. Information may be from any realm of life

ranging from science to art, from beneath the earth to unlimited depths of skies, from religion to

humanities, from tangibles to intangibles. Radio tries to bring to listeners every possible information that

they must know about.

2. Education

To educate people is a process of teaching and training; to improve knowledge and develop skill. Radio,

being a mass medium does manage to present educationoriented programmes in its transmission.

3. Entertainment

People wish to get entertained as well. So radio, broadcasts entertainment programmes comprising music,

drama, disk-jockey, and comedy programmes.

4. Islamic ideology

Since Pakistan is an Islamic country which was struggled for in the name of Islam therefore as a responsible

medium, Radio Pakistan has been performing appreciate-able role for the promotion and preaching of

Islamic teachings in the Light of Quran, Sunnaah and Hadith.

5. Ideology of Pakistan

Two-nation theory provides blood and soul to the ideology of Pakistan which seeks its roots in Islam. Radio

Pakistan is playing a vital role in illuminating the ideology of Pakistan in the listeners, especially in our

youth.

6. Promotion of culture

Pakistan is a land of different regions and varied cultures. These cultures represent their respective people

and add rainbow colours to the vast canvass of Pakistan. Radio Pakistan is doing its best to promote and

preserve this picture of heterogeneous cultures by producing programmes strongly portraying the beauty of

different lands such as Sindh, N.W.F.P., Balochistan, Azad Kashmir and Punjab.

7. Promotion of regional languages

As mentioned above Pakistan is blessed with different lands and heterogeneous yet rich cultures and any

culture of a land is incomplete without its own medium of expression that is language. Through the

language it is possible not only to preserve a culture for next generations but also for its promotion and

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propagation. Radio Pakistan manages to make programmes in regional languages. Presently programmes are

being produced in the following 21 languages:

8. National Unity

A nation is always comprised of many races and people possessing various thought, beliefs and opinions. So

is with Pakistan. All Pakistani people making one Pakistani nation are free to have their own beliefs, political

associations and opinions, but they are not strong unless they are united. The prime objective of any

country's media must be to frame its matter and content in such a manner that the national unity may be

achieved and strengthened. So is doing radio Pakistan, efficiently and effectively indeed.

9. To boost up nation's morale at adverse hours

Yet another important objective of Radio Pakistan is to keep the nation's morale high at the hours of

challenge, dejection, panic or trial. For instance soon after the emergence of Pakistan the first and foremost

challenge in front of Pakistan was the rehabilitation of muhajerin who migrated from India in flocks and

flocks. They were miserable. They were heavy-hearted. They were lonely on their own homeland. Radio

Pakistan presented programmes to share their desolation and provided them necessary information and

guidance.

The final departure of the father of the nation, Quaid-e- Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first aching

and the most agonizing episode in the history of the nation. Radio Pakistan, not only, broadcast a moving

and touching commentary of the last journey of the great leader, but tried to pacify the people of Pakistan

as well.

The war of 1965 proved yet another trial of nerves and patience of the nation. Radio Pakistan's services, it

rendered during the war, are unforgettable indeed. The highly moving blend of the selfless passions of the

ace poets of the country, the heart touching sentiments of the leading singers and the subtle and sublime

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creativity of the musicians and composers created treasured tunes and memorable melodies. The blood-

exiting taranas and national songs sung by Madam Noor Jehan composed by Kaley Khan and produced by

Azam Khan are still capable enough to ignite the sentiments and emotions of every Pakistani.

The morning of October 8, 2005 left humanity with utmost grief and agony in Azad Kashmir and northern

areas of Pakistan when a gigantic earthquake shook the plates beneath the earth and killed people on the

earth in thousands and thousands turning the lofty mountains upside down. It was the real traumatic and

disastrous episode in the history of Pakistan, people had ever witnessed. At this hour of fear and tear, Radio

Pakistan and other private F.M. radios went to the ups of the shattered cliffs and to the downs of the

injured valleys and provided the best of the services to the grief stricken victims of the natural calamity.

10. News Coverage

Yet another important objective of radio broadcast is the coverage of news since on radio news bulletins go

on air almost round the clock. News gathering and writing for radio is more different and difficult process

than doing the both tasks for other media like newspaper and TV. Radio puts news on air after every four

or five hours in the bulletins of different durations from five minute

WHAT IS NEWS?

The term NEWS is so vast in application, so dynamic in use and so complicated in understanding that to

define it as a term precisely is rather a difficult task. However, the efforts have constantly been offered by

renowned practical journalists, media scholars and dictionaries to reach at a crisp yet comprehensive

definition of the term. The universality of the term does not allow a single definition to convey the meaning

covering all the aspects coming under the umbrella of the "NEWS". Defining the word some of the experts

went as under:

An account of an event.

A fact that interests people.

A presentation of a report on current event.

Anything that people want to know about.

An Accurate and timely intelligence of Happenings, Discoveries, Opinions, Inventions and matters

of any sort that affect or interest the listener.

Comprising of all current activities of general human interest and the best news is that in which the

most listeners or readers take interest.

Anything that enough people want to know about is news, provided it does not violate the canons

(principals) of good taste and the laws of libel. (Laws of libel will be touched upon in detail in

coming lectures).

Anything that is timely that interest a number of listeners, and the best news is that which has the

greatest interest for the greatest number of people.

A presentation of a report on current events in a newspaper or on radio or on television.

Some of the famous dictionaries define the term NEWS as under:

CONCISE OXFORD DICTIONARY

"Tidings, new or interesting information, fresh events reported."

OXFORD ADVANCED LEARNER'S DICTIONARY

"New information about something that has happened recently"

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Renowned journalists and media experts go on the term as under:

BEN BRADLEE

"News is the first rough draft of history"

FREDA MORRIS

"News is the immediate, the important thing that has impact on our lives."

CHARLES DANA

"When a dog bites a man, that is not news, but when a man bites a dog, that is news."

ARTHUR MCEWEN

"News is anything that makes the reader or listener say---' Gee Whiz!"

SUMMARY

There are certain things common which can easily be drawn out of all of the above given definitions and

they are:

There should be an event or opinion

That event or opinion must posses the potential to affect or influence a great number of people.

A large number of people must have interest in that event or statement.

Now it is pretty necessary to figure out that what people wish to know about, or, they may feel a ray of

interest in. Quite obvious is to conclude that the things, activities, events, or happenings which are around

people, and somehow or the other are attached with them, stir up and attract their interest.

What follows from all the above-given definitions is that "the newsworthy event is one that affects or

changes social, economic, political, physical, or other relationships.

Or, NEWS is an account of man's changing relationships with his environment.

Or, to be even more specific, the newsworthy development is one that changes or shows promise to change

the status quo, i.e., the prevailing status or situation.

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