You can't force viewer to watch your product, make better mousetrap and world will come to your doors; content is king.
This is what the marketing gurus of FMCGs chant when describing their consumers. These consumer goods manufacturers develop their products not on the likes and dislikes of the CEO’s wife or his mother in law, but purely on what the consumer demands. It is exactly the same with television audiences. The viewers have a right to say what they want. The viewer is king.
Ten years ago there was an outcry over the advent of Indian content on Pakistani television screens, and today we are hearing the same indignation over the arrival of Turkish soaps. But the critics need to ask themselves one simple question: Why have the viewers switched over to the foreign content when they had a choice of the local? The answer is simple: the foreign content is superior.
Why do Pakistani viewers like it? Because they are tired of watching an actor playing the boyfriend in one drama on one channel, show up as the father in another drama on another channel, the villain in the next and the village idiot in yet another. People are sick of watching the same faces over and over again. And with the exception of a few stellar serials, the majority of the plots lack creativity and imagination.
The critics cannot even argue this time, as they did in the face of competition from Star Plus, that our culture is being corrupted by the foreign content. Turkey is as much a Muslim country as Pakistan, albeit with different customs but, fortunately, you don’t hear of acid throwing or women being flogged there.
Content aside, the United Producers Association (UPA) cannot stem the tide of technology. Whether they like it or not, new channels will become more easily accessible as more direct-to-home delivery platforms are launched. Additionally, as television and the internet converge, even more choices from beyond our borders will open up. This is already happening in the West.
What will the UPA say when there is competition from, say, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia or Kazakhstan. It must realize that Pakistani viewers have tasted foreign content. They love it and they want more. All of this means that the UPA and its lot had better pull up their socks. They need to sign new faces to compete, roll out quality plotlines and produce slicker productions.
If they are smart, they will learn from the fate of the film industry which evaporated for the same reason. Even then, actors, producers, directors and other hangers-on took to the streets. And we know what happened there. The rest is history. You cannot force the viewer to watch your product. Make a better mousetrap and the world will come to your doors. Content is king.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2012.
COMMENTS (28)
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when indian dramas where hyped in pakistan, no one cared and same with indian movies
now what is the big deal in turkish dramas? once indian are even more vulgar, and no one have a problem with that?
I m a Tv freak and I watch Turkish dramas, n i enjoy it but th t doesnt mean I dont want Pakistani dramas, If u watch 4 dramas in a day n one of it is foreign whts the big deal , its a very creative n good initiative , more fore gin dramas shud be introduced.
Censor any foreign shows first before airing it on tv. Tv channels should ne more nationalists. Competition is good but anything that sells doesn't make it good. If so then drugs should be legal too.
@Ussama
So you survived abbotabad?
what if people want xmovies then this media will on air ?????
We forgot one day judgement will come. we will die.
To all these people saying that Pakistani People need to see all sides, I might as well air some pornography on TV for everyone including their families to see. Why? Because it is also a part of the ‘Media’ isn’t it? Just because some 10 people out of nowhere want to watch these TV shows doesn’t mean that everybody wants to watch them. Why do people keep forgetting about the fact that Pakistan is an Islamic Republic and the majority of people here are Muslims. If you are so fond of watching people making out or miniskirts just leave the country and go somewhere else. Unethical Idiots
To all these people saying that Pakistani People need to see all sides, I might as well air some pornography on TV for everyone including their families to see. Why? Because it is also a part of the ‘Media’ isn’t it? Just because some 10 people out of nowhere want to watch these TV shows doesn’t mean that everybody wants to watch them. Why do people keep forgetting about the fact that Pakistan is an Islamic Republic and the majority of people here are Muslims. If you are so fond of watching people making out or miniskirts just leave the country and go somewhere else.
Does any culture remain static in its life? We need to understand here that every culture evolves over its existence, influenced by exposure to other cultures. Within Pakistan, we have shades of various cultures co-existing side by side. Can we say with certainty that cultural environment of our cities remained the same since our inception as a country? This noise over the Turkish soaps is more to do with economics than losing self-esteem over slight to our conservative self-image.
Pakistani drama industry is experimenting on its own as well as from outside influences. We hope that it learns more from current running Turkish soaps...
We as a nation complain all the time.
What Pakistani drama queens should do is compete! let the viewer decide!
If your product is weak and others offer better ones than surely I would buy a better one!
If Turkish soaps pose a threat to the industry, than what about Indian movies??
Pemra is sleeping ?/?
Yawn hey everyone who wants to put ban on foreign content, ever heard of torrents and all? In the age of information, you want to to put ban on people's entertainment? BAN everything right left and center and then go be like North Korea.
Entertainment is an "infant industry" in Pakistan and it should protected..It should have tax cuts, government funding and interest free loans so that it may thrive...at the same time, it should be made clear that this protectionism for the infant industry is for a limited time...perhaps eight years
Dramas are dramas, regardless if Pakistani or other nations, regardless if its ladies showing stuff or Mullahs showing stuff... live and let live! let Pakistanis see all sides rather than just one side
The intellectual level of the comments section is appalling. It shows how little people know or understand society in this country and how badly the social sciences need to be promoted. Hollow and reactionary patriotic statements like "ban other's cultures" etc. Bhai, if it is vulgar, don't watch it! If you like Pakistani dramas so much then watch them!
ET is not confusing the issue. Most of the people in the comments section are born confused here. ET is pretty much clarifying the issue.
Agreed with article. Though it goes against our culture but if people want to see it then no one has the right to go against it.
@faraz: " Do not import culture, promote your own culture "................................your culture is very very young.after 1947...........India and pakistan was divided based on religion and not on culture..........................
Excuse me, you whole argument is flawed. There are limits to any level of indecency. For instance in western societies, where there is no ban on having sex with any person! But you can't have sex with an underage girl, that's called paedophilia. There are several other things which, if not proscribed, at least they are not encouraged, such as sexualisation of children, etc. So dramas with values not only alien to Pakistan’s local cultures culture but also detrimental to Pakistani societies, art and production companies, may be banned, and if shown continuously they could create their own demand and ultimately your own local cultural sensibilities and values could be drastically undermined, hence destroying your youth in addition to weakening your society’s fabric! Should we allow such a cultural genocide? Emphatic NO! Stop promoting incest relationship!
Unfortunately soaps reflect a lot on what people think their lives should be like. Some parts of society do think that Pakistani dramas with over-acting, over-emphasis on words, over-dramatization at every incident makes a good drama. There are subtleties to life and how we live them and that are not captured in the Pakistani dramas. As far as the Turkish dramas go, they represent a wonderful mix of east and west that the liberal Pakistani dreams of. Did you know all of the characters in Ishq-e-Manu were Muslim?
Clearly, with the comments above - we deserve our current state of misery. Godspeed.
@ Aisha Azeem - Exactly! In fact, Pakistanis do not need any foreign content hence the Youtube ban is very apt...
The quality and contents of Pak Drama are far better than your so called Indian/Turkish. The issue is not of what you are telecasting it is the culture that you want to introduce. Indian does not need a war to occupy Pak, they have already conquered by promoting their culture over here. Today you want to introduce turkish then tomorrow you would like to introduce worst others culture. Do not import culture, promote your own culture with what ever resources we have!!!
Stop favoring them in the name of Consumer is the King. In media, it is the Media who runs the show not the audience!!!!
I don't know why the action of showing Turkish dramas is being thrashed at. It isn't like people have stopped watching the Pakistani dramas completely. The ones criticizing such actions should understand that diversity is neccessary. And on the claim that Indian and Turkish dramas contain vulgar content then what about the flirting and intended rapes or sexual intentions shown in the Pakistani dramas now a days? Isn't THAT vulgar? I completely support the writer's point of view over here, such diversity is indeed refreshing.
Present what is called agree-culture and people want to see but within ethical,moral and Islamic limitations and don't transgress....
Putting aside Ifs,Buts and Whys......Ban Indian and Turkish dramas on Pakistani channels,We don't want them on our national channels and who says Pakistanis are tired of watching Pakistani dramas,Dastaan,Daam,Mein abdul qadir hun,Parsa,Humsafar,Maat,Khuda aur Muhabbat,Zindage Gulzaar Hai,Meri Ladli,Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar,Coke Kahani,Ek Nazar Meri taraf,Bulbulay and many many more have been massive hits... We love Pakistani dramas...A BIG BIG NO to Indian and Turkish content on our national channels,BAN them right now... PERIOD!!!!
well i dont have any issue if its turkish or irish - as long the content is not vulgar! ET is trying to confuse people here.. Issue isn't where it originated from, its what being originated,shown to the audience! PEMRA needs to step in!