ISLAMABAD, April 1: Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) will soon launch Direct-to-Home (DTH) service with a bouquet of 50 channels, PTV Managing Director Akhtar Waqar Azeem said on Thursday.

He told reporters after the conclusion of the annual general managers' meeting at the PTV headquarters that the bouquet would also include soon-to-be launched three more channels - PTV-Home, PTV-Music and PTV-Entertainment.

The DTH channels will commence functioning within the next six months, especially in areas where cable is not available, he added. About sports channel, he said since there existed no schedule system in the country to ascertain sport events in advance, PTV was not in a position to initiate a sports channel.

He said it was also not feasible to import international sport programmes as it involved a lot of foreign exchange. General-managers of Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and Islamabad centres were also present. The clippings of different programmes to be aired from April to June were also shown to the newsmen on the occasion.

Mr Azeem said much emphasis had been laid this time on children's programmes and music. About the quality of news bulletins, he said PTV was in the process of appointing more reporters and relevant staff in different important stations to expand its news coverage while new initiatives were also being taken in the format to make PTV news coverage more attractive and credible.

In reply to a question, he said PTV had earned Rs190 million during the recent one-day matches between India and Pakistan. He said two new programmes on music, including Dunya Meri Jawan and Ishq Ki Dastaan, would be presented during the next quarter. Similarly, a new programme on literature Danish Kada was also being produced.

"A game show - "Andaz-i-Bayan Garchay" - and a programme on art, "Rang Batain Karain", would also be aired. Two new programmes for children - Tot Batot and Piyaray Paltoo - have also been planned. He said eight new transmitters for Channel-3 would be added in addition to the existing 12 to expand its terrestrial network while five new transmitters for PTV-National would also be installed in the four provincial capitals and Islamabad.

In reply to another question, he said Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali had approved a special grant of Rs800 million for upgradation of PTV's technical facilities.