RADIO Pakistan became our Broadcasting Corporation in 1973 to ensure the effective operation and growth of broadcasting as a function-oriented public service medium, and to remove the impression of being a bloated government entity.

The PBC claims to be the only national medium that transmits in almost all regional languages throughout Pakistan, and in foreign languages via world services.

Nowadays, the PBC is facing its worst financial crisis and many facilities (including medical) have been suspended. The government is responsible for bridging the gap between its income and expenditure.

Almost 90pc of PBC’s expenditure was borne by the federal government through grant-in-aid, while the rest was met through income from advertisements and the radio licence fee, which in those days was a sizeable source of income.

In the 1980s, the government abolished the fee to provide free radio access to the masses, and the PBC became fully dependent on grant-in-aid. This denied the broadcaster and its employees the right to present their views independently and receive appropriate funding.

There needs to be a mechanism that ensures any loss of income will be automatically and fully compensated from the government budget.

Funding should also be generated through legislation to add a broadcasting cess onto monthly cellular charges or gases bills, as was done for the Pakistan Television Corporation. Generating such means of revenue would be ideal for both PBC and consumers — eg, a portion of the amount collected by the government from the industrial sector could be used for broadcasting specialised programming on industrial workers’ rights.

If considered meaningfully, this solidarity funding would not only rejuvenate PBC but would also make it a viable public service broadcaster. The broadcasting cess would also empower cellphone users, gas users, industrialists and their workers to become partners in the policymaking of Radio Pakistan.

Ansarul Haque

General Secretary, United Staff Organisation (CBA), (PBC)

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017