Shalimar Television Network sells rights to private Company
ISLAMABAD, May 04, 2005: The Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company Limited (SRBC) have allocated its airtime to a private company to start a purely private and independent news, and current affairs – terrestrial television channel. Shalimar Television Network (STN) Managing Director and Chief Executive Office (CEO) of Anwar Jahangir said this while talking to newsmen here on May 3. He said the airtime of SRBC has been allocated to Sports Star International (Pvt) Limited (SSI), being the highest bidder, which would start its transmission from June this year with new look and logo.
He said out of three bidders, the SSI was at number one with highest bid and now, the SSI would have the rights to broadcast news and current affairs, sports, educational and informative programmes for 24 hours for three years.
The SRBC Managing Director and CEO Anwar Jahangir and SSI Managing Director Abdul Jabbar here signed the agreement on Monday at a ceremony. Anwar Jahangir said the bid of SSI was much more than the price of Rs 180 million demanded by the SRBC.
The SSI has been engaged in programming and marketing of TV programmes for last two decades, said the SSI Managing Director Abdul Jabbar.
Anwar Jahangir said from June STN would have a fresh look with new logo of “ATV,” the channel’s programming would be targeted towards all segments of society and shall abide by all norms.
Replying to a question about any PTV arrears with the owner of SSI, Anwar Jahangir said all the liabilities of PTV have been cleared before giving the airtime to SSI. He said STN, which was established in 1974, started its broadcast in 1990. He said the STN was a national broadcaster, a satellite as well as terrestrial free to air TV channels. With 20 TV transmitting stations, the STN was poised to provide a quality transmission to its viewers in line with the government policy, he added.
Replying to question about the control on the policy of new channel, Anwar Jahangir said it would be more or less independent but national security would be protected in the programmes.
About the competition between terrestrial channels due to new arrangements, Anwar Jahangir said the programming on STN channel with new look shall be presented in such a manner that there would be no clash between the terrestrial channels of the country rather it would compliment each other.
To another question, he said 70 per cent shares of the SRBC were with the Pakistan Television, 20 per cent with Radio Pakistan, 8.0 per cent in private sector and Pakistan National Council of the Arts owns 2.0 per cent shares.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:5/4/2005
” 
” 
” 
” 
