Synergyzer

Naeem Mirza, Chief Executive – Awaz Radio Network, talks about the influence of regional radio

Synergyzer: Please give an overview of your company.

Naeem Mirza: Radio Awaz established its first FM radio channel in Gujarat, Punjab in 2003 and since then, the network has continued its journey by establishing twelve state-of-the-art radio stations across the province. Those include Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Bhalwal-Sargodha, Sadiqabad, Khanpur-Liaqatpur, Jhang, Pakpattan, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur, Okara and Sahiwal. Now, Radio Awaz Network has become one of the largest FM Radio networks in Pakistan.

Synergyzer: Please give details about your professional background.

Naeem: An Electrical Engineer by profession, I did my Bachelors in Science from the Engineering University, Lahore, and later a Masters in Telecom and Broadcasting from the Queens University, Ottawa, Canada.

On returning to Pakistan, I established my company in 1999 that specialized in Telecom and Broadcasting and was a turn-key solution provider for FM radio stations and telecommunication companies. My company established many government and private sector FM and MW radio networks in Pakistan and abroad, and this background helped us in getting our first FM license in 2002.

Synergyzer: Who does Radio Awaz Network broadcast for?

Naeem: Radio Awaz FM is for the people of Pakistan in general and for the people of Punjab in particular. It is a winning name in the FM broadcasting industry, comprising of highly skilled and professional team members. The principal goal of Radio Awaz is to turn radio into a source of entertainment, information, education, religion, health, agriculture, science and technology, sports, culture, and awareness of law and development.

We plan and produce different programs for the youth, children, women, as well as senior citizens. Radio Awaz broadcasts twelve hours of transmission on a daily basis from its twelve FM radio channels in different languages, including Urdu, English and Punjabi. All these programs can also be accessed on the internet throughout the world on www.radioawaz.com.pk.

Synergyzer: Based on what factors do you plan the content of your radio frequencies? How does it stand out amongst competition?

Naeem: Radio Awaz has a very skilled and professional programming team. Our teams are located regionally, are specialized in research and program design and produce programs through inculcating suggestions from local people and listeners.

Our regular transmission includes local news, sports, cooking shows, horoscope, health and beauty tips, Islamic awareness, movie songs, ghazals, gossip, and programs on current affairs with local businessmen, social, political and youth communities who participate actively. Our programs are very popular with the masses as we carry out different interactive and outdoor broadcast activities. We take calls and SMS from our listeners in almost every show, and also broadcast special programs on women and student counseling.

Synergyzer: What are the dynamics of the radio industry in rural areas?

Naeem: Because of long hours of electrical load shedding; approximately sixteen to twenty hours a day, people are unable to watch TV. This makes radio the only source of entertainment for the rural population and that is why, Awaz Network is doing very well, particularly in Southern Punjab.

Also, since only one FM channel is available in most rural areas airing 60 to 70 percent localized content; listener participation is high through phone calls, text messages and letters by mail. This makes FM channels valuable tools for promotion, with Radio Awaz being one of the most effective radio networks.

Synergyzer: What organizations form the advertiser pool for rural markets?

Naeem: Mainly large multinationals, FMCG companies and national enterprises advertise in rural areas as these are densely populated areas and form a potential market, which is yet to be explored.
Also, a large number of our advertisers consist of NGOs and other such organizations working in these areas to tackle issues related to gender discrimination, child health and education, clean drinking water, child marriages, etc. Our network acts as an ideal platform for such organizations to convey their message to a large target audience at affordable rates.

Synergyzer: How does load shedding impact the operations of your channels?

Naeem: Power crisis is a major nuisance in Pakistan for all kinds of businesses and industries. The ratio of load shedding is much higher in rural areas, and it affects the operational cost due to added factors like fuel cost, depreciation of generators etc. During power outages, we use alternate power sources such as generators and heavy duty UPS to provide non-stop transmission to our listeners, which adds to our operational costs.

Synergyzer: Is the license fee from PEMRA any different for radio stations operating in rural areas?

Naeem: Yes, the PEMRA license fee for small towns, cities and rural areas is low as compared to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Yet, we have more challenges in small areas in terms of power outages, technical back-up support and other facilities that scale our expenses upwards.

Synergyzer: What is the impact of renewal license fee that PEMRA is charging for rural stations?

Naeem: Yes, we do have the same challenges of renewal fee by PEMRA as the major cities have. In fact PEMRA is charging two-fold fee structures in the form of annual renewal fee and then revalidation fee after every 10 years. This approach would destroy the FM radio industry. On one hand PEMRA has increased the number of licenses, over-riding their own policy, which is dividing the FM radio share of the market, whereas on the other hand, it wants to increase the fees.

Written By Qazi Ahmed Mateen

Regulatory bodies are formed by the government to provide facilitation to the stakeholders of an industry and regulate them under the law, provide them guidance, develop the sector, and keep an eye on fair business practices.

For this purpose, authorities work under a framework where a code of conduct, rules, regulations and data is provided to the stakeholders and general public to make that industry flourish, and make it compatible and feasible for business and provide fair competition. In 2002, the Pakistan government established a regulatory body Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), to regulate the electronic media, as it was then that licenses for electronic media and cable were offered to the private sector. Since then, PEMRA has issued satellite TV licenses, cable TV licenses, FM radio licenses and landing rights for several international channels.

The radio industry in Pakistan is going through a very neglected phase as PEMRA has never considered or addressed its problems or tried to develop the sector instead has placed heavy renewal fees, unjustified bidding practices and awarded licenses without considering market demands. The authority has failed to define the criteria of the license bidding process for FM channels; rather they have categorized Pakistani cities as metro cities, big cities and towns. Whereas Metropolitan cities declared by Government of Pakistan are far less in number than the cities declared by PEMRA and are based on population, facilities, municipal area, urban area, number of colleges, school, hospitals and civic facilities.

The licenses are sent for frequency allocation to FAB by PEMRA which takes more than a year in the allotment process. In the meantime, licensees are required to establish their offices and pay its expenses from the day of their licenses being announced. Besides, the listenership categories are not defined e.g. News, Sports, Entertainment, Classic, Talk Back etc.

Also, the annual renewal fee structure and the revalidation fee for the license are very unrealistic. A license should not have to be revalidated if the radio station is in operation and should be renewed automatically for a further time period if its operating according to the rules and regulations of the Government of Pakistan. The more crushing factor is that compared to satellite TV licenses, radio license fee is very high. For instance, a radio license for Karachi amounts to PKR 40.7 million as compared to a satellite TV license for entertainment, which is PKR 2.5 million and even a news channel license, which is PKR 4.5 million for nationwide coverage, where FM radio is restricted to a city of maximum 40 km.

In my opinion, PEMRA and the government must differentiate between PRIVATE and PUBLIC radio Channels. The public channels are funded from tax payer money and their role throughout the world is to focus on education, public awareness and capacity building programming without any commercials. Whereas, in Pakistan, the concept of public radio is completely different. For example, one of the subsidiaries of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Shalimar Recording Company (SRC) has six FM radio stations in different cities, which were licensed in competition to private FM channels without any bidding according to the PEMRA procedure. Not only this, their marketing rights were given to private companies, offering very low commercial rates to advertisers, which has damaged the advertising market. Private broadcasters, on the other hand, have paid millions to PEMRA in terms of license fee and cannot offer such low advertising rates. PBC recently invited bids from different parties to buy commercial airtime of various public radio channels like FM 101 (comprising of 9 stations) and FM 93 (comprising of 23 stations).

To develop the radio sector, PEMRA as yet has not introduced or educated the licensees in any new technologies, especially digital technologies which the world is moving towards. Also, the regulatory body has never organized any seminar, workshop, or training in the eleven years that it has existed, neither has it provided a digitalization plan for Pakistan’s media sector, which is the need of the hour. No research or study has been carried out by the authority about media in Pakistan to provide us with a road map.

Even though it has drafted rules, regulations and a code of conduct for electronic media, PEMRA has largely failed to implement these and seems to mostly pass writ under the influence of larger media groups, which are forcing small players in the market to shut down their projects based on false claims of malpractice. Besides this, blackmailing practices are being allowed which is not providing fair grounds for competition.

All in all, the radio industry is being neglected by the regulatory authority and is badly affected by these practices. The need of the hour is for PEMRA to focus on this sector and work for its progress.

The writer is General Manager Operation – FMS, the parent company for FM 100 Pakistan

Dr. Riffat Siddiqi, Business Head/Director Marketing & Sales – Tehulka FM 94.6, 
more popularly known as ‘Doc’, reveals how he has created a successful business empire through his love for music

Synergyzer: Please give an overview of your company.

Dr. Riffat Siddiqi: The brand Tehulka is purely in the business of providing entertainment to the people of Pakistan. It evolved out of the music business, TV productions and event management, as well as film import, distribution and film production at Tehulka Filmed Entertainment, and FM broadcasting with Tehulka FM 94.6. Throughout, we have stuck to our core expertise: Entertainment.

Tehulka FM 94.6 covers approximately 90% of Pakistan by broadcasting in Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Multan, Peshawar, with our signal reaching far flung areas like FATA and other tribal areas as well as parts of Kashmir.

Synergyzer: Please give details about your professional background.

Doc: Educated in Dow Medical College, Karachi, and later at the prestigious Kings College, London, I served as an ophthalmologist for over ten years.

In 1994, I quit eye surgery to pursue my passion in music and entertainment to form Lips Records – a premier Pakistani music record label that launched numerous hit artists. In a very short time, Lips was considered a ‘king maker’ in the music industry. All my scouted talent went to become mega-hit artists in Pakistan and globally.

In 2000, I ventured into mega entertainment events, creating the umbrella brand, Lips Entertainment, as a full service entertainment company with music, films & events as its core divisions; producing hit music videos, TV serials and TV commercials.

In 2004, to broaden my music and entertainment experience, I ventured towards the mobile and digital domain and radio broadcast industry by launching Radioactive FM 96 and Connexture, a digital content company.

After contributing to the world of music, TV, digital and radio, I launched Tehulka Filmed Entertainment with the aim of importing & distributing blockbuster films from around the world in Pakistan. In a short span of time Tehulka has become a leading film distribution company with huge hits like Bodyguard, Don 2, Talaash, The Hunger Games etc.

In January 2013, I took on the challenge of revamping the struggling Shalimar FM 94.6 network, the largest FM network in Pakistan. Now, Tehulka FM 94.6 has become one of the leading FM stations of the country in less than a year.

Synergyzer: How does FM radio compliment the music record label industry?

Doc: Radio has always been a driving force behind the music label business and no emerging artist can see the light of day without significant radio airplay of their songs. Radio makes songs hit. Yet, due to the advent of the digital music business and shrinking of record labels, the scenario has reversed: Now, hit songs make radio stations hit.

Synergyzer: What are the criteria for content production on Tehulka FM 94.6?

Doc: Hit music, killer station IDs and time specific commercial breaks are the three basics at Tehulka FM 94.6. There was a huge vacuum of fresh music on radio and we jumped in at the opportunity. With decades of music business experience we knew the kind of music our target listeners wanted. We understand the kind of music that different sorts of audience want to listen to on FM and give them exactly that.

Synergyzer: How have you created your niche amongst 30 plus FM radio channels?

Doc: Our launch strategy of Aik Awaaz Aik Network followed by the hugely popular mantra Jo Chal Raha Hai Wohi Chal Raha Hai to the current Fresh Hai created our niche in the market through different stages of our radio channel’s lifecycle.

Synergyzer: The music industry in Pakistan has not been able to establish itself even though there have been music making, music productions, record label companies and music TV channels to support each other, like Lips Entertainment. What are the reasons for this industry not being able to gain a stable ground?

Doc: (Sighs) Long story. In a nutshell, wrong music genres being pursued by the local artists, absence of sustainable Pakistani film music, lack of music studio infrastructure especially producers, outdated laws and legal protection, a dearth of trained music industry executives, artists without proper professional management, no monetary viable digital music delivery platform and extreme popularity of Bollywood films and music in Pakistan; all combined and contributed towards the music industry not picking up in Pakistan.

Synergyzer: Do radio channels impact this scenario in any way? How?

Doc: As I said before, radio plays no role in establishing a music artist or creating a hit anymore as nowadays it is hit music, which makes the radio channel a hit. In days gone |by, radio was always funded heavily by music labels to promote their music and artists by buying heavy airplay. Since record label businesses lack financial backing and with music available free of charge on the internet, no money is available to invest in artists and music.

A comprehensive study by BBC Pakistan on the radio listening habits of Karachites

Pakistan currently has over a 100 FM radio stations across the country. With such a healthy number of radio stations, the irony is that a good deal of broadcasting activity in the country goes on without much effort being made to find out what is really happening at the other end; the listeners. Broadcasting continues inexorably but there are a few attempts to find out anything about the audience. An attempt to gauge radio listenership was made by BBC Pakistan in 2012, titled ‘Value of Airtime’, to fill this impending gap.

The survey was carried out to distinguish the size, composition, demographics and listening habits of the radio audience 15 years and over in the metropolitan area of Karachi. The findings of the survey spilt the beans on some of the most clichéd facts about the radio industry in Pakistan. Are the so called ‘Drive Time’ slots the most tuned into by listeners? Does the 40+ age group consist of top listeners?

As versatile as the city of Karachi is, so are its inhabitants. The researchers took a sample size of 1,516 adults aged 15 and above. All respondents were asked about their general media habits. Each then completed a 2 week diary that recorded their radio listening times in 15 minute segments every day of the week. At the end of the 2 week period they were asked some final questions about attention to news bulletins on the radio. Less literate respondents were helped by the interviewers to complete the diary; the diaries were completed between June 25 to July 8, 2012. To ensure authenticity and accuracy, the survey was weighted by age and socio-economic classes to ensure precise representation of the population of Karachi. Covering both male and female respondents, the age groups were clubbed as 15-29 years, 30-49 years and those who were 50+. Respondents belonging from SEC A to SEC E were included in the research. Educationally, the respondents were clustered as those who have completed or were currently enrolled in college or graduate programs, completed or were currently enrolled in secondary (Matric or O-Level) or higher secondary school (Intermediate or A-Level), done 5 to 9 years of school, done 1 to 4 years of school, and those who have had no formal education or were illiterate.

In today’s world, the trend of cellular phones becoming media outlets and life organizers is increasing with each passing day; this fact emerged to be true for the audience of Karachi, from the analysis of this survey. A staggering 86% of adults (5 million) above 15 years have access to FM radio on their mobile phones with only 14% (820,000) owning radio sets. It portrays that people prefer convenient, easily accessible and on-the-go formats for entertainment. Interestingly, only 4% have access to radios in their cars. 50% people surveyed listen to radio, compared to 94% TV viewers, 33% newspaper readers and 79% cell phone users who use the gadget for other than calling purposes while 13% internet users who go beyond checking emails. This study sheds light upon some interesting future trends also like how the access to radio will grow as there is a continuous transition from feature phones to low cost smart phones; and all smart phones have a pre-installed radio application. Moreover, with the introduction of 3G, smoother streaming will attract more audience to tune in.

According to this survey, 71% of adults, equivalent to 4.2 million listeners, listen to radio for an average of 64.2 minutes daily with males forming 66% of the listenership. In comparison to developed radio markets, 64.2 minutes per day is only 1/3 of the average listening time, which lessens the radio’s impact. The short Time Spent Listening (TSL) is because people are listening on cell phones and can’t listen for a long time because of the battery and since the phone serves multiple purposes, also there are not enough radio sets at home, and the programming is cluttered with advertising that prevents them from listening longer.

Young adults aged between 15-29 years, who are more technologically advanced and socially aware, listen to radio the most – 52%, while the 50+ age group segment forms only 13% of listeners. On the other hand, the 30-49 age group is 34% of the radio audience. Contrary to popular belief that females, mostly housewives are more avid radio listeners, young males belonging to middle and lower SECs seemingly form most of the radio audience. The versatility of radio programs catering to the different preferences of the people of Karachi is also highlighted in this survey with radio having an almost equally distributed reach from SEC A to SEC E, yet interestingly, the listener base is the highest with SEC E, forming 36% of the population, and keeps decreasing as the SECs progress, being the lowest in SEC A – only 8% of the population. In terms of education, those who have done 5 to 9 years of school listen to radio the most at 32%, while those who are graduates listen to radio the least at 11%. Those who have had no formal schooling fall somewhere at 17% of radio listenership. This reflects the small number of privileged as well as educated people in our society.
Radio is not just an inexpensive mode of entertainment but is also portable. It can be enjoyed in homes, cars, restaurants etc. The common belief that people tune into radios usually in their cars is negated in this survey with 22% of the weekly audience listening to radio in their homes via mobile phones while only 1% in their cars. Any other portable devices like portable radio (0.4%) and MP3 players (0.2%) are not much of a choice for radio listening. Also, the internet radio phenomenon has not yet picked up in Pakistan with only 0.4% people tuning in to it.
Having a vast market to cater to, radio content incorporates every aspect from music to news and traffic updates to sports updates. Almost all types of content attract a high percentage of listenership, which suggests that channel switching is not an often happening event. However, music stays the main reason for people to tune in – 87% while news and current affairs follow with 59% and dramas, which used to attract a high listenership in yesteryears, when Radio Pakistan was avidly listened to in the city has the lowest attraction – 7% of adults. Interestingly, also listened to are advertisements at 50% and call-ins at 43%, proving that the interactive format of shows is a successful one. Traffic and weather updates generate 21% listenership in the Karachi city, while sports and chat shows are listened to by 41% and 33% of people, respectively. Out of those who listen to news, 459,000 of the people surveyed pay a lot of attention to it, amounting to 11% of the radio audience. 22% on the other hand, pay little attention to it, although they do say that they listen to news on radio.

With all the radio channels having 24 – hour programming, it becomes imperative to conduct a day and time analysis of the audience. During weekdays, people usually turn on their radios when they want to relax at night. The maximum number of listeners going up to 2.9 million tune in between 10 pm – 11 pm, which is in contrast to popular belief that most listenership is during drive time in the evening. However, lesser number of people tune in during weekends, highest being 1 million, as people may have other social commitments and activities to tend to, while listenership during weekdays goes up to 1.5 million. Listenership peaks are also observed between 4 pm – 5 pm, which may be attributed to female listeners. Also, female listeners listen to radio for a longer period of time compared to their male counterparts, i.e. 72.6 minutes versus 58 minutes, respectively. This trend could be attributed to lower phone ownership amongst women and higher usage of the home or portable radio device. Also, those in the age bracket of 50 plus listen to 67.2 minutes in a day, higher than any other age group. Amongst the socio-economic classes, 70.8 minutes were being listened to by SEC C, higher than any other class.

Listenership pattern is the same for all age groups, peaking at the 10 pm – 11 pm time slot. However, younger mobile phone owners know more about the built-in radio app as they are more technologically advanced.
Quantity can never guarantee quality, similarly more the number of radio stations, more important it becomes for the content to be in line with the preferences of the audience. Content develops USPs for radio stations and help them in building a loyal listenership. People have a wide variety of channels to select from; therefore the content needs to be effective, engaging and impactful.

The city of Karachi is a melting pot of cultures. An in-depth analysis of the survey conducted by BBC Pakistan concludes that the wide array of radio stations currently dominating the airwaves need to work on building a strong listenership and address the present gaps in the radio content.

Written By Sher Asfandyar Khan

The year 2003 filled the airwaves of Pakistan with the booming stereo sound of FM music. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had been formed and scores of licenses were auctioned countrywide. Although Pakistan had its lone ranger in FM 100, licensed years earlier and having monopolized the FM airwaves under the protective umbrella of a law passed by the then government that explicitly denied issuance of FM licenses for the coming next ten years. Thus, the year 2003 can be termed as the birth year of FM radios in Pakistan in the true sense.

It was the best of times. It was affordable times. People with small budgets but lots of passion and enthusiasm could enter this part of the world of electronic media. It was a time when big business concerns did not care to join the race as radio seemed too small a business to divert their energies to. This was the time when radio licenses would cost PKR 100,000 for smaller stations and PKR 3.5 million for big cities like Karachi and Lahore. But those were yesteryears. Today licenses for these big cities cost PKR 45 million, not to mention the bidding a few years back when big players and business houses entered the arena, locked horns, bled, but would not give way (finally all ran away). This battle resulted in bids for Karachi and Lahore to soar up to PKR 360 million at the fall of the hammer.

The past decade has truly been an FM baby boomer decade with hundreds of FM stations mushrooming all over Pakistan. If compared, worldwide, radio has a far greater reach and listenership for music and information than any other medium, while it is still in its infancy in Pakistan. Radio music, especially FM music is so well produced around the world that clubs and even discotheques are using them. Also, not to forget, with the internet you can now surf and tune in to your choice of music with FM radios specializing in instrumental, Latino, pop or jazz.
On a personal note and experience, while on a visit to Athens, Greece in the mid 1990s, I was amazed at the abundance of radio stations churning out quality music. Intrigued, as I was used to listening to just one FM radio station back home, I inquired about the number of stations in Athens from my nephew who lived and studied there and was driving us around. Although he did not know the exact number of stations, he told me that he had tuned seventeen of his favorite FM stations which he listened to while driving around.

Being only a decade old, PEMRA, like the FM radio industry, is also in its infancy. Set up to facilitate and regulate the electronic media, it has done a tremendous job in regulating this boom being heard over the electronic airwaves of the country. As regulators and facilitators, their help has been outstanding, especially for the FM stakeholders. Yet recently, their outstanding work has had a chink in its shining armor as a lot of radio stakeholders have gone to court to protest the astronomical renewal of fee been imposed on them by the regulating authority. PEMRA, as regulators have to understand and appreciate that they are regulators and facilitators and they are there to improve the electronic media. They should not act as a business house looking to make big financial gains from the same people they are there to help and protect.

All in all, there is a great future for these FM baby boomers. May they never stop to boom.

Sher Asfandyar Khan is Managing Director – Syndicate Entertainment, the parent company for Apna Karachi FM 107

with Murtaza Solangi, Former Director General – Radio Pakistan

Radio Pakistan was probably one of the first institutions which came into existence simultaneously with the formation of Pakistan. A part of All India Radio (AIR) before independence, the organization was separated into the Pakistan Broadcasting Service, later called Radio Pakistan, once the subcontinent got divided. The independence of Pakistan was announced through Radio Pakistan on Aug 13, 1947 at 11:59 pm in Urdu, followed by a similar announcement in English. The role of Radio Pakistan in terms of promoting the cultural heritage of Pakistan is very well documented as composers, singers, artists, song writers, and poets who dominated Pakistan’s cultural stage initiated their careers from Radio Pakistan. With just three radio stations at the start, the entity now owns thirty-four FM radio stations along with a plethora of AM stations operating in the rural areas of Pakistan.

Murtaza Solangi, former Director General of Radio Pakistan over-saw a lot of these expansion projects and brought about a shift in paradigm under his tenure. A journalist since two decades, he started his professional career in 1991 with the launch of The News. Before that, he wrote for The Herald, Frontier Post and a number of other newspapers in a freelance capacity. Later on, he pursued a degree in radio broadcasting from the USA, and furthered his career with the Voice of America’s radio, TV and online media networks till June 2008, when he planned to return to Pakistan to head the prestigious Radio Pakistan Network.

“The main focus under my tenure at Radio Pakistan was changing the programming paradigm, mainly in terms of current affairs programming and reinventing community broadcast. In the five years that I was in charge, twenty two FM stations were launched throughout the country as community channels; FM 93 from Skardu all the way to Karachi and Mitthi. Hence, across the country a new network of FM stations was launched which were mainly broadcasting programs that were community drivers. The programs targeted audiences in women, children, soldiers, peasants, and were diverse socially and culturally. We also invested in setting up AM transmitters for rural areas as the ones before were old and damaged. Despite non-availability of funds we were able to plan and start installation of new AM transmitters in Hyderabad, Larkana, and Turbat. With the help of USAID, two powerful AM transmitters (400 Kilowatt transmitter in Peshawar and 100 Kilowatt transmitter in Dera Ismail Khan) were planned for and installed. Both came on the air before I left office. Also, another 500 KW transmitter was being planned, with the agreement signed and tenders floated before my tenure at Radio Pakistan ws over. As a national broadcaster, we couldn’t leave the rural areas without information. At the same time to facilitate the youth of the nation, we launched an English channel for the first time; Planet FM 94. We started in Islamabad then Lahore and were planning to expand it to other cities. FM 101, which used to be a part of a private media group, was made a part of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and its programming was improved through youth specific content. Radio Pakistan did have current affairs programs but never had a dedicated current affairs channel. So two months after I took over, in August 2008, the first dedicated Current Affairs channel of Radio Pakistan called National Broadcasting Service (NBS) was launched by Sherry Rehman, the then Information Minister of Pakistan. In February 2009, it was made mandatory for all local stations to create 70% of their programming content in local languages of that particular area. In terms of news we changed our mission statement and news content to include news about opposition, human rights, women, minorities, and NGOs. In addition to changes in programming content and audiences, we also added three foreign languages in our international broadcasting portfolio, we were broadcasting in seven foreign languages before, but in my tenure, we added South Asian languages like Tamil and Nepalese,” emphasized Solangi.

Besides a shift in programming, Solangi also led technical innovations in the organization. He was responsible for heralding in the new age of radio in Pakistan based on his work experience in the USA and change the perception of the state owned organization to a modern and more open one. “Before I took over, Radio Pakistan didn’t have a presentable website, so we became the first Pakistani government entity to develop a bilingual website catering to online radio listeners and news enthusiasts. Moreover Radio Pakistan programming was made available on the web, as for the first time we started streaming all the major channels of Radio Pakistan via internet across the globe. In terms of technical innovation, we relied mainly on analogue tapes, as there was no IT brought into the process of recording and archiving. I got the organization to record and produce digital data. We started using ‘file transfer protocol’ creating an online bank where stations would send their programs through a dedicated loop across the country. We also launched the first station satellite up-linking system of Radio Pakistan to enable us to transmit music and audio from the field straight to the broadcasting house.

I got the feedback system upgraded so that listeners would not just send traditional letters and postcards to the station, but were also able to communicate through SMS messages in real time as well as email, Facebook and Twitter. We also got international listeners involved through Skype. Radio Pakistan’s YouTube channels were also launched under my tenure; one for archives and the other for day to day events – Radio Pakistan Online and Radio Pakistan Live, respectively. I think we uploaded around 300 plus exclusive archives on our YouTube channel including music, interviews and speeches, and the last time I checked there were over 1 million viewers on the archive channel. I also made changes to the programming to be more inclusive of the youth, along with making live streaming available on the web and through tune in applications, which gave us tremendous feedback from across the globe,” he added.
“Although the Pakistan Broadcasting Academy has been there for quite a long time, the problem was that it did not offer training in IT and advanced radio broadcasting tools as people associated with the academy and Radio Pakistan were not familiar with these, so there was a great need to bring training in content, policy and new technology. For that we utilized the services of some major international broadcasting delegations, such as, Asia Broadcasting Unit (ABU), AIBD (Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development), CBA (Commonwealth Broadcasting Association), Voice of America and other such organizations and conducted major training programs involving Radio Pakistan Staff from across the country. Our broadcasters and engineers were sent for fellowships to Malaysia, Japan, and Germany for training programs. We collaborated with a number of social initiatives focusing on women to increase awareness about social plights, which resulted in increased listenership,” said Murtaza Solangi elaborating on Radio Pakistan’s stance on equipping its employees with the latest skill sets to enable them to excel in their field and as a result take the institution forward.

Apart from all the above mentioned feats performed under his tenure at Radio Pakistan, Murtaza Solangi will always be best remembered for the role he played in attaining the once lost speeches of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah from All India Radio. He explains the ordeal, “Quaid-e-Azam’s speeches on August 11th and 14th, 1947,were delivered in Karachi and aired and recorded by All India Radio (AIR) as Karachi didn’t have a station back then. Only Lahore and Peshawar had stations, but even they were Class B stations as there were no recording facilities. Yet, there was a possibility that the speeches would have been added to Radio Pakistan archives. When I took over the relations between Pakistan and India were fragile and especially took a nosedive in the wake of the Mumbai blasts. We first tried to find those speeches in our archives and asked BBC Pakistan but they didn’t have them either. In November 2011, I had a chance to travel to Delhi as the Vice President of Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union and there I was told by AIR’s Head of International Department that they have the Quaid’s June 3rd and August 11th speeches, and that I should approach them through official channels. I approached officials who could help me with my quest and wrote to the Director General of AIR. In response, AIR finally released the June 3 and August 14, 1947 speeches in 2012. Yet, we still don’t have the August 11, 1947 speech that conveys the Quaid’s vision to future constitution makers and legislators of Pakistan that the ruling assemblies have no business in administering faith and religious matters. My sources say that there were recordings of that speech present in Radio Pakistan, but I believe that it may have been willfully destroyed by supporters of extremist regimes.”

“I think radio as a medium will live forever, because of its portability; a medium that is more of a companion medium, not an obstructing medium. When you are watching TV you can only watch television, you can barely even have your food because you are glued to the screen. Radio is a medium that stays in the background and does not interfere with daily chores and is extremely portable, so it has a great future. I also think that no matter how developed we become as a nation there will always be a need for public broadcasting because it has its own value and can survive on small investments even,” said Murtaza Solangi to end our little session with him.

Omair Khan, Director Sales & Marketing – Dunya TV, talks about the television evolution and ethical practices that need to be introduced in the electronic medium

Synergyzer: Give a brief overview of the company that owns Dunya TV.

Omair Khan: Dunya TV is owned by Mian Amer Mehmood, who owns Punjab Group of Colleges and Universities as well as Mohammad Ali Jinnah University (MAJU) in Karachi & Islamabad. Education has been his forte. He has been in this field for the past 25 years. At the same time, he has other business investments in the real estate sector. He started the media venture in 2008 with the launch of Dunya News which is now a full-fledged media group with the addition of Dunya Urdu newspaper and has future plans for adding more channels to the bouquet, starting with an entertainment channel.

Synergyzer: What are some of the major dynamics that have evolved within the TV industry in the past ten years in Pakistan?

Omair: In the last 10 years, media industry has boomed and it has seen most growth in terms of the number of news channels that ride the airwaves today. In today’s world where audiences’ prefer to stay aware and informed, their access to the world is made easy through news channels both local and international. Back in the days, we only had PTV and NTM; hence the news genre wasn’t developed as such. Today, there are more news channels than ever before, keeping audiences informed, empowered and creating public awareness. Other than entertainment & news; TV channels have further diversified into other genres such as music, fashion, religion and sports to the liking of every individual.

Secondly, advertising expenditure has grown exponentially with greater focus on TV as one of the most efficient medium for marketing & mass targeting. Compared to the rest of the world where digital is the new medium of growth, TV in Pakistan continues to enjoy the largest audience and advertising share. As advertiser’s confidence continues to rise in Pakistan, so does the advertising pie. Interestingly our adex to gdp ratio is still lower, compared to developing countries, which indicates further room for adex to grow in the coming years.

Thirdly, a job in TV industry was never considered a stable career before but now it is respected and is sought after as a profession. Earlier in Pakistan, we had limited talent on-screen but now there are new additions on TV on an everyday basis. There is a lot of potential in this field & what we we still need is proper talent management agents and HR specialists to streamline our industry.

In terms of viewership genres, sports has also enjoyed a certain love of the niche audience beyond cricket lovers. It’s not limited to live cricket screenings or international cricketing events. There are analysts and presenters on local channels discussing football, tennis , golf etc. Cricket heroes like Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja have also helped uplift the image of local experts most of whom are known globally today.

Synergyzer: What percentage shift has incurred in ad spend towards the television medium from other media?

Omair: TV has enjoyed an undisputed share of advertising spend over the years, print and outdoor followed. There are seasonal and event based peaks for both latter mediums like elections etc. Internet is the newest advertising medium available and it is being well utilized, the penetration in urban areas is quite decent and continues to grow. However, companies spend most part of their advertising budget on TV as it has a bigger impact compared to other media.

This change started in early 2007 as it became apparent through the researched approach adapted by companies to test which of their marketing mechanisms were working better than others. Print has been taken over by electronic; though a loyal print readership base still exists but the shift towards electronic media is prominent when we look at the revenues made by print media in comparison to the television.

Synergyzer: How has television shaped the promotion of brands in the recent years?

Omair: A major change has taken place vs. old days in the way TV has shaped the marketing and advertising of brands. Different innovations have been introduced by channels; branded entertainment including brand’s message integration and placement is on a rise, there are fixed spots near premium programs to enhance recall for viewers, we see more reality shows on international format supported and sponsored by major brands etc. All these changes define how television has reshaped marketing, media and advertising but most importantly brand promotion on TV today is being done more tastefully and subtly than before.

Synergyzer: With the advent of different channels, how have career paths evolved?

Omair: Overall, in terms of jobs and careers, there are numerous choices available in the media industry now. Earlier we only had PTV, hence, there were fewer designations and limited technical staff. Now with the growth within electronic media, there are more specializations to choose from. There is also an increased interest in Journalism and Media Sciences studies as the need for professionals to run this industry became evident more so in the recent times. Due to this; universities are seen introducing specialized programs within media, journalism and production to train students for a career in media. Hence, now we are very much aware of designations such as media planners, buyers, content experts that were hardly known before.

Synergyzer: How have you seen PEMRA’s role evolving over the years? Does it involve controlling the mushroom growth of channels and ensuring quality content?

Omair: PEMRA’s role evolved as the television medium evolved. Yet, they still need to implement effective controls on shows and benchmarks to be made obligatory, small example could be enforcing content classification by audience for example parental guidance indication on programs with explicit content. This is being fair to not only the audiences but also introducing channels to the international regulations which are appreciated globally. These controls are a necessity as television has a greater influence on audience as a communication tool and impacts a larger group of population. Of course, exemptions can be made on live programs, but care should be taken in general. In fact, I believe all media stakeholders should take the initiative of maintaining global standards in terms of content, speech and technical standards so Pakistani media is seen and appreciated as serious business.

Synergyzer: How has the role of censorship policies evolved in the past ten years?

Omair: I feel they have become more lenient and adaptive over time on the basis of popularity and audiences. PTV and PEMRA have always played the role of censorship; however they currently are seen as old school. We now have Turkish and Spanish content being played on our TV channels, which is even bolder, reflecting fewer restrictions. On the other hand, the audience has become bold as well and have shown acceptance of the foreign content. Nevertheless, Dunya is very particular about what is being played on television, as we consider it our responsibility to monitor and filter any inappropriate or culturally sensitive content.

Synergyzer: A number of unregulated TV channels keep emerging in the country. How is their content and broadcast regulated?

Omair: Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) brings together every channel’s head to discuss issues and limitations from time to time in order to regulate TV channels. As TV stations have a very strong power to influence general public towards a particular direction or agenda, PEMRA ensures the content is neutral and supportive to the economy in some way or the other.
I think it is important for us as stakeholders to maintain a strictly mature attitude by adapting highest business ethics on our own, instead of being reminded to comply on basic morality.

Synergyzer: Recently, we have seen a number of negative PR activities being conducted involving anchors from different TV channels. Is there any code of conduct to stop such activities from happening?

Omair: There is no code of conduct, however there should be one. There should be a benchmark to be followed by all, not that one channel bans a controversial figure for right reasons and another goes on to hire them. That said, the ban should be for the right reasons.

Synergyzer: Why is there a lack of competition in the TV viewership research sector?

Omair: People meter is a high investment project; there is a need for upgrade and improvement but the returns are high. Despite this, not many channels are pushing for it. On the other hand, PTCL has launched its smart boxes that will supplement the data. They plan to install these in around 100,000 households; it’s a good start but that doesn’t give large scale coverage. However, it will certainly give us a good picture to plan for future.