Provision of constructive info urged

Experts say private FM stations can benefit from Radio Pakistan’s rich content to inform, entertain citizens

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers at a grand dialogue on emerging digital broadcasting have stressed the need for collaboration among the key stakeholders to flourish collectively and better serve the nation with positive and constructive information.

These views were expressed by representatives from FMs, Stream Channels and OTT platforms at the dialogue organised by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation as part of World Radio Day celebrations at Radio Pakistan Headquarters Islamabad today.

The heads of various private FM channels, Stream Channels and technology companies, academicians and health experts contributed their valuable input in the discussion. They were of the view that private FMs can benefit from Radio Pakistan's rich content for informing and entertaining people in a more effective way. Radio Pakistan can also collaborate with educational institutions to produce quality human resources in the field of mass communication, they added.

Addressing the ceremony, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Shahera Shahid said the radio industry will be fully facilitated to flourish. She said that Radio Pakistan and PTV have rich content, and a system is being developed to ensure its availability to everyone. Alluding to Radio Pakistan's largest outreach in the country, she said the equipment of the national broadcaster was being upgraded with digital technology to improve sound quality.

In his remarks, Director General Radio Pakistan Tahir Hassan said the emerging trends of digital broadcasting demand collaboration among the relevant organisations. He also highlighted the measures being taken to improve the performance of the state broadcaster.

In this regard, Chief Executive Officer FM-105 Zulfiqar Ali Shah said they are ready to collaborate with Radio Pakistan for the larger benefit of people. He said the private FMs can relay news bulletins being aired by Radio Pakistan and suggested establishing a state-of-the-art broadcasting academy by Radio Pakistan to equip the youth with modern techniques of radio broadcasting. He also proposed that the government should take advantage and use the platform of Radio for disseminating public service messages.

CEO of an IT company Wahaj Siraj said that today the broadcast media is confronted with multiple challenges regarding creativity and innovation and we have to think out of the box solution to tackle them. Similarly, the CEO of a Radio Engineering Company Dr Javed Haroon Qureshi said that Radio Pakistan is rich in creating impressive content and we have to disseminate this content.

In her remarks, the Dean Department of Social Sciences NUST Dr Salma Siddique said that NUST is ready to collaborate with Radio Pakistan in establishing a Training Academy to train the youth in broadcasting. She said let's join hands to use this platform of Grand Dialogue for Radio Pakistan.

CEO of IMDC Dr Yasir Niazi, while addressing the ceremony, said his organisation was ready to cooperate with Radio Pakistan in imparting education and creating awareness among the masses regarding health issues. He said we are available for Radio Pakistan with all our resources and we will continue to be a popular medium for people.

Tassuwar Zaman from China Media Group said that the collaboration between Radio Pakistan and China Radio International is proving effective to promote friendship between the two countries and bringing people of the two countries closer. Similarly, Wakeel Khan from Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority said that PEMRA will continue to facilitate the radio industry, helping it to inform and entertain people in a better way.

The main event was organised at Radio Pakistan Islamabad on the occasion of World Radio Day, which was moderated by renowned journalist, analyst, and former Director General of Radio Pakistan Murtaza Sloangi. Similar dialogues were also held at the PBC stations in provincial headquarters including Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2023.