The Downfall of PTV

A few years back, I read, ‘In Pakistan, each politician goes to bed at night with the dream that he would wake up next morning as the Prime Minister.’

Today I found a uniquely similar quote, ‘Had each drama director in Pakistan gone to bed at night with the dream that he would wake up next morning as the Chairman of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) our media would’ve been better off.’

Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is Pakistan’s national television broadcaster.  PTV began its live transmission on November 26, 1964, in Lahore. Today, family of PTV includes six channels. In contrast to any other state-run corporations, PTV was allowed by the Government of Pakistan to raise an ample size of private capital to finance the stations.

The channel has a history of producing unique and exciting dramas. Inspiring playwrights and bold performances and practically no competition made PTV an essential ingredient in our lives. But now unfortunately, our generation had to eyewitness the downfall of television plays in late ‘90s, the mushrooming of private channels and finally the invasion of numerous other shows. Due to lack of budget private channels were sold the new and fresh dramas. These private channels sucked all the television industry which PTV had solely built. The careers of all these famous directors, producers, actors etc had been nurtured by this channel. But alas! As it is, money goes where money is.  Today PTV has a very small viewership due to the increased cable availability and transmission. 

However, there were exceptional, periodic displays of brilliance as the sun was setting on PTV’s golden era. Family Front’s Sumbal, Nusrat and Bobby;  Alpha Bravo Charlie’s Faraz, Kashif and Gulsher; Samsung VJ’s Faisal Qureshi, Jawad Bashir, Ahsan Rahim, Amna Khan and Ahmad Ibrahim; Teen Bata Teen’s Lucy, Johnny and Shaffu became cult icons by becoming really off-beat.

Sadly now not only I want to repeat the above quotes over the years but Pakistan’s 60 years history is also an eyewitness that these two classes of Pakistan (Politicians & Directors) have proved that these quotes are right. Just like the nation badly needs a good leader, it also needs hand-holding in the field of Media to avoid the wide spread depression other private channels are causing. The nation needs a break.

By: Shiza Nisar