ISLAMABAD, July 8: Pakistan Television will start by end of the current month international news bulletins on PTV World by renaming it as PTV World News Channel.

The need for switching over to modern news presentation has been felt due to the government’s open media policy under which a number of news and entertainment channels are being given licence in the private sector.

Some channels are telecasting news before being given permission by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

The main target of the channel will be the international audience, specially Pakistani expatriates in Europe and America, sources told Dawn on Monday.

According to PTV sources, new news studios and newsrooms equipped with modern imported equipment were being established.

The proposed news bulletins preliminarily would be telecast parallel to the present English news bulletins aired at 2pm, 6pm, 8pm and 12pm, they said.

Care will be taken in preparation of the bulletins that they should not give any glimpse of stereotype “Khabarnama”, by including national news only if they are of international importance.

The Khabarnama at 9pm will be continued on PTV-I to cater to the domestic requirements. An international news bulletin in Urdu will be telecast by the new channel at 10pm daily.

The Pakistan Television has hired services of young people, including journalists, by offering them lucrative salaries.

The bulletins will be broadcast live and arrangements for live reporting from various stations in the country and abroad on the pattern of international news channels like the Cable News Network and the British Broadcasting Corporation would also be made, the sources said.

The administration had given the task to its news production side almost a year back but after failing to achieve the given targets the members of the team were reverted to other sections, retired or they went on long leave.

Meanwhile, a source in Pemra said that applications for private channels will be invited within this month or in the first week of next month.

The authority has already started recruiting its technical staff and managerial officials at various stations.