Giving details, he said PTV Administration contacted some Chinese companies for financial help after Planning and Development Division had declined to approve PC-1 of the project, which had estimated cost of Rs 2.5 billion.

He said few Chinese companies suggested if they would apply for Chinese grant or aid for up-gradation of telecasting system, they needed to apply to Government of China.

In this respect, the Corporation wrote a letter to Economic Affairs Division (EAD). He further said another Chinese company also contacted them and wanted to provide free of cost equipment. They have been working on both options.

Chinese companies to help PTV in digitizing broadcast by 2015 is a post from: TV Explore

He gave his remarks in response to the press release titled “Pemra to take action against derogatory programmes, excessive advertisements and foreign content,” says a PBA press release.

Following is the text of the PBA press release:

At the very outset we would like to state that as the regulatory of the media industry, the Pemra has a responsibility and a duty to act in a fair, reasonable and, above all, lawful manner. It is, therefore, highly regrettable that the Pemra has issued such a defamatory and inflammatory press release wantonly casting false and frivolous accusations against the entire broadcasting industry.

You have alleged that certain channels are airing derogatory, humiliating programmes purposely meant for character assassination of individuals and organizations. We assure you, however, that none of our members broadcast any such programs and in case the Pemra has any concerns regarding any particular program we are happy to sit down and discuss the issue with you and amicably resolve the matter. The Pemra should, however, refrain from making such vague and general accusations against the whole industry without providing any specifics. Such unsubstantiated actions only reflect poorly on the regulator.

Similarly, you have alleged, without any substantiation whatsoever, that there is increasing vulgarity and indecency in programmes and these are perceived in disconformity to our socio-cultural or religious norms. All of our members apply strict editorial policies to ensure that no vulgar or indecent programs that may offend the moral or religious sensibilities of viewers are aired. As stated above, if the Pemra has any particular program in mind, we are very happy to discuss the issue and amicably resolve the matter. Instead of trying to resolve the matter, however, the Pemra is insisting on casting baseless accusations against the entire industry. Such accusations on the part of a regulator are highly regrettable. We would, therefore, request the Pemra to perform its functions in a more responsible manner.

With regard to the issue of excessive advertisements, as you are no doubt aware, we, along with some of our members, have already filed a petition before the Honorable High Court of Sindh on this very issue and the Honorable court has been pleased to grant interim orders in our favor. Since the matter is sub-judice before the Honorable court, we do not intend to comment on the same. We hope that the Pemra will also maintain the dignity of the Honorable court and in the interests of judicial proprietary will refrain from making such inflammatory statements and commenting on the merits of an issue, which is before the Honorable court.

We would also like to bring to your attention that we, on behalf of electronic media industry, submitted a draft code for self-regulation to the Pemra/government in August 2009. Rather than work with us for the enforcement of this code, the Pemra has, for the past three years, failed to take any action on this issue despite repeated reminders by us. In view of this, the Pemra’s allegation that we are not making any serious effort at self-regulation and are engaged in passing the buck to the Pemra is an unfortunate example of dereliction of authority and the targeted spread of false propaganda.

Having read your press release, it seems that the Pemra is bent upon creating an atmosphere of distrust and hatred towards the broadcast media, when, in fact, as the regulator it should be balancing the interests of both viewers and broadcasters. Our members and their employees go to great lengths to create public awareness on vital issues, often placing themselves in life-threatening situations.

Instead of lauding the work of our members and their employees and appreciating their adherence to the law, it seems that the Pemra is determined to pressurize and muzzle them.

We are writing this letter as a gesture of good faith and in the hope that the Pemra will change its unfortunate and antagonistic attitude towards the broadcast media. As stated earlier, we and all of our members are always available to sit down and discuss all issues with the Pemra in order to achieve an amicable resolution. We would, however, greatly appreciate if the Pemra did not continue to make defamatory and inflammatory statements against the media industry otherwise we will be forced to avail any and all legal remedies available to us.

Pakistan Broadcasters Association advises PEMRA to be specific is a post from: TV Explore

Drama serial Kaafir came at an apt time for both Humayun Saeed and Ayesha Khan fans. The male protagonist had been playing the stereotypical hero in almost all his dramas therefore his acting seemed stale. He had failed to impress in Neeyat mainly because of his character that allowed him to be played by the women in his life without raising any questions and his other dramas were no different. Watching him come out of his shell and finally do something different in Kaafir made us have a fresh new faith in this seasoned actor’s acting skills.

Ayesha Khan too shed her own avatar of the pampered rich girl and played someone who believed in carving her own fate no matter how long or hard the path may be. All the other actors in this drama had supporting roles since Shahan Ali Khan – the character played by Humayun Saeed and Izzat – played by Ayesha Khan were always shown at daggers drawn. They had their come-backs and their allegations ready, even though their dialogs made the show inappropriate for kids to watch along with their parents.

This serial showed karma in full force and showed that while false accusations and evil intentions might appear convincing, it is the truth that will always come out in the end whatever the consequences. Shahan Ali Khan too saw a similar fate when all that he had done came right back to him through his innocent daughter an even though he tried everything in his power to revert back his evil deeds, time had run out. While everything worked out in the end, you couldn’t help but feel bad for Shahan’s daughter who had to face the brunt of what her father did.

Evil-doers in Kaafir were not the only ones in trouble this week; drama serial Kaala Jadu finally concluded on a positive note. This drama was on a topic rarely discussed on public forums-the evils of black magic and how it affects people.

This drama started off with a lot of promise, however, somewhere in the middle it started getting monotonous with the mischievous Aapi Jee (played by Saba Pervaiz) doing all in her power to control her step brothers mind for her own evil intentions. The Qutub Sahab, (played by Abid Ali) helped her along the way, facilitating her through black magic and minting money from her. It seemed that their evil doings had the upper hand and their schemes never failed. However, just like R.L Stine stories where the plot unwraps in only the last chapter, this drama too unwound in the last episode only. Not a lot of dramas end on positive notes; even fewer end with a message and Kaala Jadu had both. It showed that no matter how strong evil might seem, people who indulge in such activities pay for their bad deeds in this world and the hereafter.

Abid Ali remained in one place throughout the drama. His aastana was where all evil was born but he did the part very convincingly. Another drama where the same actor proves his acting skills yet again is drama serial Jahez in which he plays a greedy man who has cashed in on his son for the third time and he is still not happy with the dowry his recent daughter-in-law has brought with her. The family has succeeded yet again in finding a bride whose parents are more than willing to give all the riches they can to their daughter, wishing that she will find a welcoming home. Their latest schemes include the plan to take their daughter-in-law’s car and the house her parents have given her. Faisal Qureshi plays the stereotypical male who cannot make decisions on his own and instead gets played by his family and friends. The drama will soon end and this one too will conclude on a positive note, giving a rightful message to an ailing society.

While dramas like Sanjha, Kaafir and Kala Jadu concluded last week, newer ones made promising starts this week. Among them is Zard Mausam, a drama that stars Sania Saeed and Faisal Rehman. Both these actors have come back on screen after a long hiatus making this drama even more appealing. The story revolves around a divorced woman with three kids on whom time has taken its toll. She has turned bitter and inconsiderate because of all that she had to face in life and the people who have to bear her tantrums are her own dear ones. Her personality is taking its toll on her children as well and they are shown to be equally bitter at very tender ages. After watching the first episode, it seems very likely that this character will be married off to a widower, the character played by Faisal Rehman. The story will develop further based on how these two manage to live together.

Another drama that recently started but does not show promise is Yahaan Pyaar Nahi Hai starring Saba Qamar and Junaid Khan. The drama seems to be about what every other story on screen is about these days – love and deceit. While this one has a pleasant twist on the saas-bahu relationship, the story between the actual couple remains the same. Junaid Khan is not happy with the wife that his mother chose for him and has finally resorted to looking elsewhere for love.

Recently Junaid Khan has set out to prove he can act although none of his dramas have done well so far. He seems uptight and rigid in all his dramas and Yahaan Pyaar Nahi Hai is no different. Junaid plays the part of a successful surgeon who is forced to marry a relative of his without his approval and although the couple have two kids together, they seem poles apart because of basic differences in their very nature. Saba Qamar has established herself as a good actress so far and is the only one who seems convincing in this drama too and although the first episode was not very promising, I will look out for future episodes in case it takes a positive turn.

Anyone who has been following the latest dramas and other programs on television will agree that Pakistani dramas are slowly edging towards obscenity. Prime time is supposed to be the slot that the whole family can enjoy together but the trend seems to be changing rapidly. Dramas seem to be openly addressing issues like adultery and prostitution, something that was never discussed or even hinted at by writers and directors. A serial that has been going on for quite some time titled Dil To Bhatkay Ga is moving along lines that Pakistani drama has only subtly touched. The serial starring Shamoon Abbasi, Resham and Mohib Mirza has been stirring up debates about what is appropriate to be shown on TV and what is not. Perhaps if dramas like this were rated, people would have a better idea of what to watch infront of the whole family and what to avoid while kids are around.

Karma Kicking In is a post from: TV Explore

In a press release, PEMRA said that cable operators are not authorized to relay any channel except those permitted under the list of eligible channels. All cable networks have been provided a list, which contains 89 indigenous satellite TV channels, 28 foreign channels and all PTV channels. The cable operators have, however, choice to carry channels of their choice among the eligible list depending upon the capacity of their cable network, it said.

The illegal CD channels on cable networks and illegal foreign channels were not only a source of content piracy but there had also been a lot of public complaints against vulgar content and movies being shown on these channels, it said. Most of the operators were airing vulgar mujras, dances and movies not worthy of watching while sitting with family.

PEMRA enforcement teams raided the networks and impounded large number of such vulgar CDs and impounded gadgets used for distributing the vulgar content.

Cases of all these cable operators would be taken before the Authority for imposition of heavy fines and suspension of licenses, the statement said.

PEMRA takes action against illegal foreign channels including Star Plus and Sony is a post from: TV Explore

Ofcom said taken the unprecedented step of ruling that DM Digital, which targets the Asian market with programming in languages including English, Punjabi, Urdu, Kashmiri and Hindi, is the first UK broadcaster to break the broadcasting code for airing material “likely to encourage or incite the commission of a crime or lead to disorder”.

Because of the serious nature of the breach of the code Ofcom said that it is now considering imposing a statutory sanction, and the media regulator’s sanctions committee will now consider options including fining DM Digital or even revoking the company’s broadcast license.

DM Digital, which is licensed in the UK, also broadcasts to the Middle East and parts of Asia.

Last October DM Digital aired a one hour programme in Urdu in which an Islamic religious scholar lectured about theology and discussed the killing of Salmaan Taseer, a Punjab governor and critic of Pakistan’s blasphemy law, who was assassinated by his bodyguard Malik Mumtaz Qadri last year.

The blasphemy law carries a potential death sentence for anyone who insults or is judged to have blasphemed against the prophet Muhammad.

Ofcom was alerted by a viewer to statements made in the programme, saying it was acceptable to murder those who have shown disrespect. The media regulator commissioned two English translations of the programme, for accuracy, and found that the presenter of the show said: “If someone takes a step in the love of the Prophet, then this is not terrorism.”

The scholar who gave the lecture on the show made a number of comments citing a “duty” to kill those who insult Prophet Mohammed, including: “I hail those who made this law [Pakistan's blasphemy law] which states that one who insults the prophet deserves to be killed – such a person should be eliminated.”

DM Digital argued that there had been no “serious” breach of the UK broadcasting code and that the “text was taken out of context, and if read as a whole, it is clear that [the scholar] is commenting on the blasphemy law in Pakistan and not personally advocating any violence”.

The broadcaster added that it did not condone the comments and was taking steps to make sure that it would moderate such programmes in the future and appoint a compliance manager.

In a 12-page ruling Ofcom said that the live lecture broke a number of broadcasting code rules, including that broadcasters must exercise a “proper degree of responsibility” and that it was likely to “encourage or incite the commission of a crime or to lead to disorder”.

“We believed that on a reasonable interpretation of the scholar’s remarks he was personally advocating that all Muslims had a duty to attack or kill apostates [someone deemed to have abandoned their faith] or those perceived to have insulted the prophet,” said Ofcom. “We considered that the broadcast of the various statements made by the Islamic scholar outlined above was likely to encourage or incite the commission of a crime.”

UK-based Pakistani channel may be closed over show condoning murder is a post from: TV Explore

Harish Thawani-promoted Nimbus Sport (that owns Neo Sports and Neo Cricket channels) is also reported to have given a presentation to the PCB chairman and other senior officials last week on the Twenty20 league.

According to reports, Nimbus is interested in just organizing the league for a fee but has not shown interest in procuring rights for the event.

Besides, Ten and Nimbus another international sports marketing agency is believed to have shown interest on the league.

“At the presentations most of those people who gave presentations made it clear that finances needed to be generated from the Indian and other markets to sustain such a major league including the franchises,” newswire PTI quotes a saource as saying.

The PCB is hoping to get a price of around $4 to 4.5 million for a franchise which is expected to be held in October.

“Basically they also see October as the ideal time to launch the PPL as the ICC has kept a window open for the Champions League tournament as well and foreign players could be available as well,” the source said.

“The biggest issue for the PCB is not just finances for the event but also security issues as they are keen to ensure the league launches with the participation of foreign players,” the source added.

India’s Neo Sports and Ten Sports in fray for Pakistan T20 League is a post from: TV Explore

“Heer Ranjha” is a tale of a beautiful woman named Heer, born into a wealthy family in Jhang in Punjab province. Ranjha is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village Takht Hazara. Both of them fall in love but their marriage is opposed. Heer`s family agrees to the wedding but a jealous uncle poisons her food. Ranjha eats the same food and both of them die.

The state-run PTV is now producing a classic 13-episode musical drama, produced by Farhan Agha.

Seasoned writer Ahmad Aqeel Rubby has written it while Shahid Zahoor is the director and Mian Yousaf Salahuddin the music composer.

In an interview, Rubby said the shooting of the serial is going on at the original locations such as Jhang, Jauharabad, Rangpur and Takht Hazara.

Rubby said he has written “Heer Ranjha” under the perspective of the original story by Waris Shah, which had been rewritten many times, but the tale remains the same.

The first “Heer Ranjha” was written in 1767, which was Waris Shah`s original version, Rubby said.

Considering its historical background, Rubby said he has written it in the shape of a play and not like a movie.

Ahsan Khan is playing the role of Ranjha, Zaaria plays Heer, Mohsin Gillani plays Heer`s father, Saba Faisal would be Heer`s mother and Shafqat Cheema is playing the role of the uncle Kaedo.

The serial will go on air by June. Each episode is 45-minute long and two songs would be included in every episode.

PTV shoots ‘Heer Ranjha’ on original sites is a post from: TV Explore

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani conferred the award in a ceremony organized by Pakistan Television (PTV) in Lahore on Saturday night.

The Bangladesh-born actress and her husband are visiting Pakistan after over a decade to attend the PTV event held to pay tribute to the couple for their contribution to Pakistan’s silver screen.

PM Gilani while addressing the ceremony glorified the services rendered by the duo. “Their departure to Bangladesh had caused great loss to the Pakistani filmdom”, the prime minister said.

While terming both the artists as ambassadors of both Bangladesh and Pakistan, he stressed the need to strengthen ties between the two countries in all sectors.

Shabnam was active in the Pakistani film industry in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and in the Bangladeshi film industry in the 1990s. Shabnam worked in total 160 films, including 152 Urdu films, 4 Bengali and 4 Punjabi films. Born in Dhaka (formerly a part of Pakistan called East Pakistan), she was considered a versatile, romantic and most popular actress in both West Pakistan and East Pakistan in her time.

Robin Ghosh is a musician and music composer. Famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi has a notable contribution to Ghosh’s success. Ghosh gained fame in the mid 1960s when Rushdi sang his compositions in films like Chakori, Jahan tum wahan hum, Paisa, etc. His debut composition was for the Bengali film Raj Dhanir Bookay in 1961, and followed by numerous other Bengali and Urdu films, including Talaash, Paisa, Chakori and Bhaiya. After the release of Tum Meray Ho, Ghosh moved to Karachi, continuing to compose film music into the 1980s. He composed songs for the film Aaina, one of the greatest films ever made in the Pakistan film Industry.

Pakistan honours Shabnam, Robin Ghosh is a post from: TV Explore

Following her success as Momo in Bulbulay, Dilpazeer goes a notch further as she plays the four main characters in Qudoosi Sahib Ki Bewa (QSKB) from ARY Digital, the story of an elderly woman with a razor-sharp tongue. It is a play that sheds light on the issue of ageing spinsters and great expectations.

Amma lives with her three overweight and frumpy daughters: Khajusta (Shahnaz Pervaiz), Badarqa (Dilpazeer), Shagufta (Uroosa Siddiqi), and Wadood (Waqar) who is her only son in a middle-class neighborhood somewhere in Karachi.

Living in a rented portion, the Urdu-speaking family is shown suffering from serious monetary issues. Given that a major chunk of earnings come from the salary of Badarqa, an education department employee, Amma is reluctant in getting her married off fearing that her other children will suffer.

Then there is the track where the landlord and his family have their scuffles with the Qudoosi clan: the landlord Aleemuddin (Mirza Shahi) is always on the prowl and despite his advancing years, he acts like a love-struck youth. His wife, Nanhi, is a woman of weak faith and who believes in the magical charms of Bengali Baji (Dilpazeer), a con woman who is often seen dispensing harsh advice. Their dwarf son, Maqsood (Maqsood), is married to Rooh-Afza (Dilpazeer) who has her share of insecurities and is excellent at filmi tantrums and histrionics.

Connecting the two families is the butter silk burqay wali matchmaker Aqeela (Badar Khalil), a sharp woman who is more intent on her commission than getting people to settle down.

Things go haywire when Amma finds out that Badarqa has married secretly and from then on things gain speed. The entry of Bhunno (Shabbir Jan) plays havoc with the hearts and minds of all the women involved as they vie for his attention.

Written by Fasih Bari Khan and directed by Muzzafar Moin, the play’s USP is Hina Dilpazeer. Playing four different characters with ease, she outshines all her earlier performances. As Amma, she seems perfect as a cynical and jaded elderly woman who sees through things and people, and as the love-struck Badarqa (a woman with little looks who desperately wants to settle down) she melts many a hearts. Then there is the eccentric Bengali Baji who dispenses strong advice in her thick accent, and also Rooh-Afza who is a case of style gone horribly wrong.

Noted for its strong performances, QSKB is a vehicle that showcases how far an actor (in this case Dilpazeer) can go when it comes to delivering a sterling performance. Not far behind Dilpazeer is Badar Khalil’s matchmaker who more often than not is seen eloquently praising her butter silk burqa. Any scene where the two actresses are in the same frame is simply a delight to watch.

However, the other cast members falter at times with Siddiqui being a case in point. Her character with an irritable laughter is more annoying than entertaining, and at best looks like a bad parody of Kajol’s character in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum. Waqar as Wadood needs to work on his dialogue delivery and try to sound less Punjabi, given that he is shown from a typical Urdu-speaking family.

The play is entertaining but at the same time highlights the harsh treatment meted out to single women. It also shows how the selfishness of parents prevents a family “cash cow” from settling down and carrying on her life. The play also touches on the theme of gender identity disorder, but given that it’s meant for the masses it stays focused more on Wudood’s feminine side and his fetish for dressing up than anything else. Given that both Bari and Moin want to keep things light and suitable for the general audience, these issues are kept in check. With excellent script and strong characterisation, Qudoosi Sahib Ki Bewa offers a humorous and entertaining insight into the lives and complex issues of people living on the far side of the social spectrum.

Review: Qudoosi Sahab Ki Bewah is a post from: TV Explore

That could be the only explanation for a PTV anchor, whose graduation degree is suspect, if not worse, and he is still earning Rs300,000 per month while his better educated colleagues are being paid about one-tenth of that amount.

And this glaring disparity is official.

Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan however defended the disparity as she told Dawn “These appointments are made by the PTV’s board of directors, headed by the managing director (MD), on the basis of market value of individuals and not educational qualification alone and that the minister has nothing to do with these appointments”.

The information provided by her in a written reply under “unstirred questions” during question hour in the National Assembly on Friday was however stunning. Most of these appointments, according to the PTV’s old staffers were made on political grounds and not merit and there was serious resentment among them on this question.

MNA Maulvi Agha Mohammad had sought the detail of PTV anchors along with their qualification and perks.

The minister’s reply revealed that Shoaib Bhutta whose BA degree was marked with the words “confirmation awaited”, is earning a handsome monthly package of Rs300,000 a month whereas the lowest salary-getting individual, Rafique Ghauri, with qualification of masters (MA) is anchoring the programme ‘Pakistan ban raha tha’ and gets only Rs31,571 a month.

According to details, Dr Moeed Pirzada who holds an MSc degree from Columbia University and MSc from London School of Economics along with an MBBS degree, and has switched over from a private channel, is doing a programme thrice a week and is getting Rs750,000. Syed Anwarul Hassan hailing from Kohat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is receiving Rs335,000 per month with his masters in journalism degree from Gomal University.

Other anchors include Samina Waqar who (according to written reply was not doing any job at all) receives Rs125,000 per month. Saadia Afzaal, a BA degree holder is getting Rs360,00. Waheed Hussain with masters in mass communication, master in English and MPhil degree receives Rs325,000. Khanum Tayyeba Bokhari with MA Arabic, MA Persian and MA Islamic Studies degrees (who anchors a programme special to a certain sect) gets Rs375,000. Noorul Haris who comes from Sindh with CA (Inter) degree receives Rs300,000. Mazhar Barlas with MSc mass communication and MA Urdu gets Rs250,000.

Khursheed Nadeem holding MA Political Science degree earns Rs175,000. Azam Khalil with MA English and a degree in speech writing who does only four programmes in a month is getting Rs200,000 plus Rs50,000 a month for extra
programmes and Shakeel Gilani with LLB and MSc mass communication degree is earning Rs150,000 per month.

Other anchors with smaller emoluments include; Imran Mir – Rs74,000; Tanzeela Mazhar – Rs70,000; Tarangil Singh holding CAT,BA,ACCA degrees gets Rs68,000 and Saifullah Khan, a BSc degree holder is getting Rs30,000 per month.

Background interviews revealed that most of the above mentioned highly paid anchors, in fact, are having strong political cults working more than their qualification and ratings for their selection.

Disparity in Salaries in PTV is a post from: TV Explore