• March 4, 2015
• Radio
• MUHAMMAD ASHTAR

Radio Pakistan is a symbol of our statehood and nationalism. We should never consider it a burden on the state coffers. Nor we should take it as a purely commercial organisation. It has helped to produce a plethora of artists, singers and musicians from all around our beloved homeland. It has in its repository many of the finest folk songs and voice dramas. This medium of communication is in fierce competition with television all over the world. Television being more attractive has led to the diminishing popularity of radio. So it is no wonder that BBC Urdu has started its flagship radio programme Sairbeen on television. Radio still has some plus points that television cannot boast of. Everyone can listen to radio without any difficulty while working and even while driving. The radio does not put as much pressure on our senses as television does. TV exposes us to dangerous radiations and weakens our power of vision.

TV also destroys our love for reading. To produce a radio programme you need do not need as much money as a TV programme.

I have some suggestions for the revival of Radio Pakistan. First of all we should invest more funds in it and never consider it a burden on the national exchequer. We should be proud of it as the English are of their BBC Radio. We should never use it as a political tool of the sitting government. Radio Pakistan should launch a music portal on the internet. Here all those exclusive archives should be made available to listeners. It should launch an android application as well as a PC application. Every programme should be made available to download in the form of a podcast. TV has a lot of advertisements that distract the attention of viewers. We should not link the revival of radio with this business. My end words are, Radio Pakistan should launch a galaxy of new programmes. It should launch a permanent programme about debates in parliament. A lot of programmes about education, science, new discoveries, environment protection, sports, drama and entertainment should be launched as well. I hope that Radio Pakistan will become a competent medium and arouse new listening interest.

Daily Times