PESHAWAR, Dec 23: The Pakistan Television (PTV) is taking major steps to cope with the challenges posed by new satellite channels in the country. “The PTV is ready compete with the booming satellite channels in the country but at the same time it will strive to protect its cultural, religious and traditional values,” said Shahid Mehmood Nadeem, programme manager, PTV headquarters, Islamabad.

Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by the Artistes Welfare Association Zoom (AWAZ) on Friday, he said: “We are incorporating modern trends into programmes but national interest would dominate everything else.”

He was critical of some privately-run satellite channels, which, he said, had crossed all limits of decency in their lust for earning money.

The foreign contents shown on privately-owned channels are adversely affecting the youth, he cautioned.

About the major steps that the PTV has taken to compete with the satellite channels, he said that they had hired the services of 45 new producers, saying it was the first time in two decades that producers had been appointed on such a large scale.

“The PTV is at a crossroads at the moment. Its producers are busy in private productions clandestinely. But now the TV monopoly is over and a competitive environment has been created by satellite channels,” he said, asking the producers, technical staff and artistes to work with more vigour and devotion.

Mr Nadeem urged the producers to present creative programmes on social awareness and justice with an element of modernity and aesthetic sense to lure the audience to the TV screen.

“Ideas 2006 Conference is being held under the auspices of the PTV on Dec 29-30 in Islamabad in which experts from public and private sectors have been invited to share experiences aimed at bringing much-needed improvement in programmes,” he said.

During the conference experts from advertising, production and technical sectors would discuss ways for bringing reforms in the programmes, he added.

Mr Nadeem said that the PTV was ready for change, which was evident from the launching of new channels by the government.

The general manager, Peshawar Centre, Tariq Saeed, said that proposals had been sent to the PTV top brass to improve the process of wages of artistes.

“Artistes are the real people calling the shots at the PTV. They should work with professional zeal and competence to do away with the prevalent shortcomings from the society,” he added.

With the basic changes in the pipeline at the PTV, he said that the producers, artistes and technicians were required to work hard to compete with satellite channels.