PESHAWAR: Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) has planned to improve quality of all programmes and restore medium wave transmission at various stations in the country.

Addressing Guest Hour programme of Peshawar Press Club here on Monday, PBC Director General Samina Pervaiz said that short medium wave transmission would be revived in Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad and Larkana.

She said that Radio Pakistan had a unique history and played a key role in creating awareness among people besides airing recreational and entertainment programmes. “Despite launch of different sources of information and entertainment, radio still commands majority audience worldwide and will continue to dominate in the days to come as it reaches such far flung places where no other means of communication is available,” she added.

Ms Pervaiz said the transmission of Radio Pakistan covered 95 per cent area of the country. She said that efforts would be made to cover the remaining five per cent area in the middle of the next year.

DG says radio will continue to dominate in future as it can reach far flung areas

She said that the two-high power transmissions were installed with assistance of the United States in Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar while Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was also supporting them for improving and upgradation of the system.

“We have planned to upgrade radio stations in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi very soon. While the Peshawar station will also be upgraded gradually,” Ms Pervaiz said.

She said that efforts would be made to ensure access of all listeners to Radio Pakistan. For the purpose, high capacity transmitters would be installed nationwide phased-wise, she added.

The PBC director general said that Radio Pakistan would continue to dominate as family channel without compromising on its quality and decency. She said that Radio Pakistan was the only channel in the whole country that aired all its programmes in all regional languages.

She said that Radio Pakistan had broadcasted more than 52 dramas of various regional languages including Urdu.

She said that steps were taken to make the website of Radio Pakistan more informative through which transmission would be aired for listeners.

Ms Pervaiz said that FM 93, 94 and 101 were also available on internet through satellite network. She said that the quality of world, external and foreign services would also be further improved to meet the demands of listeners.

To a query about low wages of contract employees of Radio Pakistan including translators and newscasters, Ms Pervaiz said that they were revamping the wage structure. She, however, said that the wages were given to employees according to their talent and experience.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2014