English channels more popular: PEMRA survey
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) opinion survey revealed that Pakistani channels were as popular as the foreign channels with English programmes having a marked edge over the Urdu programmes. The survey was outsourced to mass communication departments of eight universities across Pakistan that included University of Karachi, Karachi; Fatima Jinnah Women’s University, Rawalpindi; Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan; Islamia University, Bhawlpur; University of Peshawar, Peshawar; International Islamic University, Islamabad; Punjab University, Lahore, and Lahore College for Women University, Lahore.
The departments formed student teams to carry out the survey under their teachers’ supervision. The occupational groups consisted of doctors, lawyers, officers, industry managers, industrial workers, drivers, shopkeepers, students, children and housewives.The survey findings were revealing and educative, with entertainment as the most favoured choice. News, current affairs and information took the next slot and sports channels had a large viewer-ship too. Advertisements had only a scanty attraction and interestingly, a large number of respondents watched cable television as a leisure activity with no particular channel preference. While most of the respondents turned to the cable television channels for awareness on world news, entertainment, music, films and religious programmes, quite a number of them were subscribing because of the affordable entertainment TV cables provided.
According to the survey, vulgarity and nudity were most disliked and many respondents reckoned cable television to be a bad influence on children. Many accused cable TV of propagating a wrong ideology, putting out “wrong” advertisements, causing cultural damage and providing very poor service. The respondents’ number one choice was an increase in science and technology programmes while religious teachings, education, films, sports, music, foreign programmes and local fare grabbed the next berths. Interestingly, neither many children nor the mothers wanted more cartoons channels. Notably, a small section of the respondents wanted a ban on cable television. online
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/29/2006
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