Rs9.6b ads released to media outlets

The Senate Standing Committee on Information was told on Wednesday that the government released advertisements worth Rs9.6 billion to the media during the last one-and-a-half year.

The committee meeting was presided over by Senator Fauzia Arshad.

The meeting saw participation from the Information Secretary and the Director-General of Radio Pakistan, who briefed the committee members about the financial challenges facing Radio Pakistan. They highlighted that pensions for retired Radio Pakistan employees for the months of April to August had been disbursed, but the institution was grappling with the "entire burden of government’s financial problems."

Furthermore, it was disclosed during the meeting that discussions with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regarding the lease of Radio Pakistan land were ongoing, with an anticipated revenue of Rs2 billion from this venture. The key point of contention in these negotiations revolved around the lease rate, with Radio Pakistan pushing for commercial rates while the SBP advocated for an industrial rate.

In response to this, the committee recommended that the Radio Pakistan land be leased through a public auction. It was noted that 800 kanals of radio land in Lahore were currently being considered for a 20-year lease to the SBP, a move expected to promptly generate Rs2 billion in revenue.

The DG of Radio Pakistan also highlighted initiatives aimed at boosting the institution's revenue, notably the establishment of a broadcast technology park in Islamabad, which had garnered interest from several companies.

Regarding government advertisements, the Information Secretary informed the committee that a significant sum of Rs9.6 billion had been disbursed to various media outlets in the past year and a half. This allocation was broken down as follows: Rs3.5 billion for print media, Rs4.79 billion for electronic media, and Rs1.23 billion for digital media.

Senator Waqar Mehdi raised concerns about the criteria for awarding advertisements, suggesting that favoritism had influenced decisions during the tenures of both PTI and PML-N governments. In response, the committee requested detailed information on the rates of advertisements allocated to different channels over the preceding 18 months.