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| October 4, 2005 | Tuesday | Sha’aban 29, 1426 |
‘Private channels promoting new culture’
LAHORE, Oct 3: Speakers at a ‘Dialogue on television channels: creators of new social values’ held at the Quaid-i-Azam Library here on Monday were of the view that television had failed to meet its obligations with respect to the defence of social and cultural values.
TV playwright Amjad Islam Amjad said the values of dominant civilizations always spread in the world like the religion of the rulers. The PTV had lost its status of family channel following the launching of a number of private channels since 1990s. The private channels were promoting a new culture as the multinational companies (MNCs) controlling 83 per cent of the TV publicity budget wanted opening of society to facilitate marketing of their products.
He said certain things being promoted by the private channels for their commercial interests were in conflict with social values. The PTV had been exposing social evils but the private channels had started promoting glamour instead. The PTV was sticking to the social values despite its weaknesses but the new channels had abandoned all values for the promotion of their commercial interests.
Former PTV general manager Moneeza Hashmi said media reflected life pointing towards a certain direction but the decision to follow it was always taken by the viewers. Exposure of excesses committed against women by the PTV had brought about a positive change in the minds of the people regarding problems being faced by them but the private channels had not only left them alone but was degrading them as well.
She said the television had not played for prevention of the increasing violence against women because of its marketing-oriented policy. It was treating women as a commodity and marketing them. The PTV management had also joined the race forgetting that it was a public broadcast system and had to act as a defender of social values. The duty to safeguard the social values now rested on civil society.
Shuja’at Hashmi said the standard of PTV broadcasts had deteriorated despite availability of state-of-the-art equipment and studio facilities because the seniors believing in producing their own programmes had left it. Those who had succeeded them were purchasing plays from the market. They broadcast whichever play they could procure at a cheaper price.
He said the media was giving a new culture to society by influencing it with its glamour. The dresses and ornaments worn by artistes impressed women more than the plot of plays. A new code of ethics was necessary to prevent the media managers imitating foreign channels from violating cultural values.
Rizwan Mumtaz of ATV said the official electronic media required to formulate a proper marketing strategy. He said the Zee TV was financed by RAW from the Indian defence budget. He said the cable television had only 20 per cent share in the market and terrestrial television controlled the remaining 80 per cent.
He said the PTV had not said goodbye to religious and social values like the private channels but had failed to compete with the channels despite being the parent organization in Pakistan because those responsible for running it attended more to the elevation of their grades than grooming new talent to succeed them.
Rehan Azhar said television could serve as a powerful medium of education but most of the private channels were not ready to meet their social obligations and were operating for the sole purpose of minting money. The owners of these channels should learn a lesson from the doom of film and theatre.
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