KARACHI, May 26: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed has said that the coming three to six months period would be a highly revolutionary one for media in the country.

Speaking as the chief guest at the concluding session of the three-day moot on Urdu press, organised by the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, on Wednesday, the minister said the government had already allowed 13 parties to establish private television channels, while another 30 channels would go on air under cross-media ownership.

He remarked that room for newspapers and written journalism would further reduce when consumers would be able to get access to the Direct To Home (DTH) on cheap television sets imported from China.

He maintained that he did not see any termination in the traditional paper-journalism, but warned the concerned that their survival would depend only when they resorted to scientific approaches.

He mentioned that Pakistan and the region would remain in focus of the media for the next 5-10 years, as the geo-political situation was changing rapidly. The minister announced a donation of Rs2.5 million on behalf of Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali for the Mass Communication Department, KU.

In his presidential speech, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said that the importance of Urdu journalism in the country could not be denied as far as the promotion of the ideology of Pakistan and cultural values of a Muslim society were concerned.

He said turning to modern-day means of information was not a bad thing, but it should be ensured that these should not be allowed to distort the structure and values of Pakistan.

Dr Pirzada Qasim, vice-chancellor, University of Karachi, said that in view of the importance and proceedings of the Urdu press conference, he had decided to hold such conferences on a regular basis in future.

He said that recommendations presented at the conference, relating to the university would be taken up on priority basis. Dean, Faculty of Arts Dr Abuzar Wajdi, chairman, Mass Communication Department Dr Tahir Masood, Inam Bari and Sadia Mahmood also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Tahir requested the minister to ensure financial support from the government for early completion of the Mass Communication Institute building at the university.