By Khawar Ghumman
ISLAMABAD: Though the government has declared 2010 as the year of radio, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) is facing multiple problems ranging from delayed and inadequate releases to obsolete technology, which are seriously affecting its routine operations making it difficult to meet even its recurring expenditures, officials involved in its administrative affairs told Dawn.
The PBC is presently facing a budgetary shortfall of over Rs800 million mainly accumulated during Musharraf regime. Former Information Minister Sheikh Rashid during his stint recruited some 500 party workers on regular basis, besides making over 1,000 contractual appointments in the PBC. Last year, the PBC had to bear an additional burden of Rs163 million as a result of 20 per cent increase in salary announced by the government.
They said top bosses of the information ministry were well aware of its (Radio Pakistan) bad financial health, but nobody was coming up with any plan to rectify the situation.
For example, they said, just because of late release of funds the PBC had to pay Rs1.6 million surcharge on last month’s electricity bill.
Moreover, the PBC had demanded Rs175 million for payment of salaries to the casual staff working in news, current affairs and various programme departments and medical bills and pensions, but it was paid Rs114 million.
Under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2009-2010, Rs451 million were allocated for the PBC, but so far the government has released Rs160 million. They said during next financial year the PBC was expecting a record slash in its PSDP allocations to merely over Rs100 million, that means there would be no upgradation and modernisation of the organisation next year.
Very few people know that the PBC continues to use old valve-tube (analogue) technology, which has already been discarded by most of the countries, they said. The PBC still has an operational transmitter in Karachi that was installed way back in1948. Unlike the PTV, the PBC does not charge any licence fee. Therefore, the PBC entirely banks on funding of the government for its operations. Whereas the PTV generates over Rs2 billion every year through licence fee, they said.
On similar lines, the PBC management had put up several proposals including putting a one time fee for radio public service programming on car owners at the time of registration, or sharing some money from electricity bills, but the information ministry was yet to make its mind on this.
They said, in the name of radio and PTV, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) collects billions of rupees, but never diverts funds for the development of oldest media of the country.
Despite repeated attempts and leaving of messages on their cell phones, Director General PBC, Murtaza Solangi, Information Secretary Mansoor Sohail, were not available for their comments.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/13/2010
