Continuing my earlier post on media industry specifically animated sector encourage me to write on media sector. Pakistan media is basted child born and fed by country stakeholders. Now, child is acting as savage child and demanding for more from his breeders.
The worst thing about this sector is the conversation of paper news medium to fancy TV channels. Issues and None Issues in the country are highlighted and hammered every minute, hours and every day without taking into consideration what will be economical and social effects on the audience. Untapped section of news audience who can’t read can now be able to listen and react on fancy scripted shown with none issues matters and create chaos. Listening to media clearly shows living in Pakistan is alarming and country is on the edge of cliff to falls with never ending problems.
Media industry before 2000 was limited and have quality in all terms. Few channels led by PTV are the prime source of entertainment, education and news. Current industry is the result of reforms done in Pervaiz Musharraf era. Resulting the emergence of private channels making the industry cluster for new entrance and thus, the media industry flourished.
Coming to bigger picture Pakistan’s media industry is 88-billion-rupee industry. Rapid growth is result of NO reforms in the industry along with secret treaties with politicians and selling news by copying tricks from other country media sector drove the nation’s media revenue up 14% to a highest of Rs. 76.2 billion in 2016 and another 12% to Rs. 88 billion in 2017, making it among the fastest rising sector not in Asia but in the world.
Having said above the sudden and exponential rise of media hasn’t been the ideal but artificial growth powered by factor stated above. Particularly current business model powered by two main sources of revenue generation: – Govt. Funding & 2 – Private clients
Majority of the source of income came from first part almost 70% rest compromising private one. It been the bad luck for country that corrupt and incapable Govts. for last 60 years wanted to highlight their paperly development works to gain USP among nation to earn political agenda. Top of the above media channels played a dirty and filthy role in this scenario and obviously earned margins and profits. Amazingly this been directly looted on the name of “Fifth Generation War” war that has been hypothetically generated.
Coming back to the point of first source of income i.e., Govt. funding Punjab Govt. and Sindh Govt. always were the big spenders during the last 10 years. Pakistan Muslim League’s government in Punjab was a sign of development projects in Punjab but in Sindh, there were no development but their advertising budgets were higher than Punjab’s budget which clearly shows embezzlers.
During election tenures top rated channels got maximum business during this political tilt and filled their fat bellies till PTI Govt. From first date of new Govt. to till date no media campaigns from Federal Government and Provincial Governments are on aired. Govt Spokesmen already clearly gave message to media channels to revamp their current business excluding Govt. budget dependency. Consequently, no Government budgets, no media activity results in no salaries and hence channels are down-sizing, salaries are getting delayed. Despite of the bad times in the industry APNS and PBA are the regulatory authorities for print and electronic media played miserably and dint come up with solutions to resolve down-sizing and revamping sector business model.
I my opinion problem with the current representatives don’t want to get their heads in this fire. Majority of the representatives in these authorities were owners of the media channels and giving less importance to the scenario. Secondly, anchors have become the superman and owners are more concerns about them. Thirdly, Media channels are hammering, accusing Govt. and blaming it as failed Govt. to create hype to declare it as failed administration. Only solution lies is to revamp the business model or leave the sector for good sake.
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