Could Radio Pakistan return to the airways?

 

Radio Pakistan QSL from the Gayle Van Horn QSL Collection

Efforts underway for revival, financial stability of Radio Pakistan: PBC DG

KARACHI  -  Pakistan Broadcasting Corpora­tion (PBC) Director General (DG) Saeed Ahmed Sheikh, Tuesday, said that efforts were underway for the revival of past glory of Radio Pakistan and for resolving finan­cial issues of the corporation.

He was speaking during the visit of New Broadcasting House PBC Karachi on the occasion of World Radio Day being observed on February 13. Station Director PBC Karachi Mehboob Sultan, Deputy Controller News Malahat Soulat, DC Engineering Imranu­lah Khan, DC Admin Arbab Ali Rahujo, other officers, and staff members were also present at the occasion. The DG said that to make the corporation financially viable a new business plan has been envisaged and it will be pre­sented in the next meeting of the Board of Directors of PBC for approval.

Additional story at: https://www.nation.com.pk/14-Feb-2024/efforts-underway-for-revival-financial-stability-of-radio-pakistan-pbc-dg 

Rare audio recordings under threat at PBC

Two million minutes of rare audio recordings, comprising speeches, interviews, drama, music and Mushairas from pre-partition days to date, available with the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), are under threat because of paucity of funds to preserve them. “The audio include speeches of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatama Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Liaquat Ali Khan, Bahadur Yar Jung, Hussein Shaheed Suhrawardi, Mountbatten, and even Hitler and Mussolini are available at the headquarters of PBC in Islamabad. However, it faces threat because PBC has a budget shortfall of Rs 100 million,” a highly-placed source told The News on Friday.

The treasure is not only a great heritage but could also be used as source material for researchers and scholars interested in unearthing the ups and downs of the national liberation movement and the people keen to understand the Pakistan politics in its true perspective. The rare audio collection could also help in understanding the rise and fall of fascism and unearthing malignant aggression of personalities such as Adolf Hitler and Italian dictator Mussolini.

The rare audios also include music and dramas but in all likelihood the tapes would become redundant if the authorities fail to take timely action.“PBC needs to digitise the audio tapes immediately,” the source said.

“Despite the advent of TV and other media outlets, radio has a special significance, especially for the third world countries like Pakistan because the vast majority of our population lives in rural areas and relies on radio. Therefore, the authorities should pay heed to preserving these rare audios,” said Professor Saher Ansari, an eminent poet, critic and educationist.

“If the government is short of funds to preserve these rare audios, it can auction it so that it is preserved. I think the British Broadcasting Corporation and All India Radio will be keen to purchase them because it will help researchers, students of history and art and culture in understanding our national liberation movement, and evolution of art and culture in this part of the world,” said eminent short story writer and columnist Zahida Hina.
(Source: The News/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation launches live streaming

Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) has started live streaming of its broadcasts. A PBC official told Daily Times that programmes of National Broadcasting Service (NBS) could now be listened to live on the Internet. NBS is a dedicated Current Affair Channel of Radio Pakistan which broadcasts news bulletins, sports news, business updates and stock market reports, talk shows and interviews of prominent personalities besides social and cultural programmes 17 hours a day starting at 6:55 am and concluding at 12 midnight (0155-1900 UTC).

The official said programmes broadcast from NBS mainly originated from Islamabad while major regional stations of PBC including Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta also made their contribution in the daily transmission. He said the programmes of NBS, launched in August 2008, were broadcast on a network of eleven stations. “PBC is working on a plan to broadcast NBS programmes from a new FM network in the main cities of the country to make the broadcasts more loud and clear,” he said.

As of now, Radio Pakistan listeners around the world can get easy access to various programmes in all regional languages as well as in Urdu and English. NBS programmes can be accessed live on www.radio.gov.pk .
(Source: Daily Times/R Netherlands Media Network weblog)