Private producers slam Pakistan Television PTV policies
KARACHI- Those having direct or indirect affiliation with Pakistan Television (PTV) have a lot of complaints about the non-professional approach of the managers and established producers who decide things and matters on the basis of “liking and disliking.”
A group of artists and drama producers allege that they are facing difficulties in getting their productions telecast by PTV as the authorities have their own priorities instead of considering professional ethics. The groups of artists who formed Independent Television Drama Producers Welfare Association (ITDPW) have announced to take legal action against the non-professional approach of the PTV authorities that deviate from their commitment. The association’s president Abdul Hamid claimed that the PTV authorities were adopting a discriminatory approach towards private drama producers. A meeting even claimed that the authorities were violating their commitment in their case and the time earlier allotted to them was now allowed to some advertising agency without any intimation. The change of schedule, the meeting said, was causing serious trouble for them.
Hamid says that when the producers inquired about sale of their time to some other party, the PTV authorities could not respond properly. However, a three-member committee has been set up by the PTV management to deal with the matter.
But the meeting’s participants warned that if the PTV management did not act properly in their case, they would move to the court. They further claimed that one of their colleagues, producer Taj Niazi, suffered a heart attack owing to this situation. Referring to the demise of senior artiste, Mehmood Siddiqui, they recalled that he was not paid his dues and the same factor had depressed him and caused his death.
Tariq Abbasi, Nafees-ur-Rehman, Humayoon Usman, Qaiser Naqvi, Mehek Ali, Younus Rahi, Nasir Lodhi, and Naila Ali appealed to President Musharraf to look into the problems of artistes and private producers and order for clearance of longstanding dues of NTM, which they said, PTV had undertaken to clear.
Source: The News
Date:8/7/2001
” 
” 
” 
” 
