ISLAMABAD: Raza Ali Abidi, arguably one of the most accomplished broadcasters in South Asia, has called for a focus on airing infotainment so as to reintroduce radio listening in the country.

The veteran broadcaster and author of a number of books as well as travelogues cited the fast paced nature of broadcasting itself as the main reason for the decline in popularity of mass media such as radio.

The decline of the Pakistani media

Abidi, while speaking at an interactive session “Radio ki kahani” organised by the Allama Iqbal Open University on Thursday, said despite being taken over by various other media outlets, radio had remained resilient through the ages.

He suggested that the dynamics and possibilities of broadcasting infotainment-based content should be considered for making radio more palatable and relatable to people across the country.

To a question if radio still had the potential to attract large audiences, Abidi said he believed that if around a hundred well-trained youngsters were put to the task of broadcasting carefully selected content-based programmes then radio could thrive in the region once again.

The new voice on Radio: Rangers

“I personally think, given the competing nature of other relative mediums such as the TV and the internet, radio will also take its time to recognise and claim its place eventually,” he added.

Abidi said that given the inquisitive nature of young people and their quest for knowledge, he believed that radio would once again become as popular a medium as the television and the internet.

During the session, he also spoke about the importance of remaining well-versed in the Urdu language.

Abidi said that despite the fact that Urdu transmission had been somewhat tainted with the addition of English language words more recently, the [Urdu] language still thrived in the region, and that it was just a phase, which would pass .

“Urdu underwent many such phases as even Sir Syed had the habit of using a lot of words from English in his writings but that too did not really influence or harm the development and popularity of the language and Urdu broadcasting in general,” he said.

AIOU Vice-Chancellor Dr Shahid Siddiqui announced that the university had decided to expand its broadcasting network throughout the country by installing FM boosters in major cities.

He said that the FM transmitter boosters would also be installed in the remote areas of the country.

Siddiqui also announced that the university’s FM radio live broadcast timings had been extended till late night.

Abidi, a journalist and author, is best known for his radio documentaries on the Grand Trunk Road and the Indus River. He was born on 30 November 1936 in Roorkee, India.

In November 2013, Abidi was awarded an honourary doctorate by Islamia University of Bahawalpur for his services in the field of broadcasting, journalism and arts. He was also honored as adjunct professor by the same institute.
Express Tribune

Addressing the staff and artists of the Radio Pakistan, he said that being the voice of the nation, the national broadcaster has played a very significant role in the socio-economic development ofPakistan.

Since independence, the Radio Pakistan has set a standard of broadcasting which now has become a hallmark for other broadcasting institutions, the director general also said.

Daily Times

Recent decades have seen countless acres of land in cities and even in the rural areas taken over to satisfy the never-flagging demand to either convert its use or parcel it out for sale.

Historical buildings have been torn down to make way for malls and plazas.

And while it is unarguable that development must take place and the needs of a burgeoning citizenry met, the problem is that in too many instances, the land acquisition decision is based on dubious logic and designed to serve the desires of a select few.

This pattern seems under way yet again in the finalisation of the Balochistan government’s plan, as reported recently, to take over 64 acres of land owned by Radio Pakistan in Quetta which houses its supplementary station and some machinery and medium-wave and short-wave transmission towers.

When the land on Sariab Road was allotted to Radio Pakistan in 1964, it was fairly remote but, by now, the expanding city has caught up with it. It is being said that the location will be used to construct a sports complex and a park, an aim that is laudable if it is ever achieved. Yet is the shutting down of this station the best way forward? There are a few points to consider.

First, this station is being used to broadcast a number of programmes in local languages, and their loss would be inflicting a needless blow on Radio Pakistan’s image, to say nothing of leaving audiences bereft.

In its heyday, Radio Pakistan built its reputation and popularity on not just its reach but also its mandate to broadcast, as a public-sector entity, material that would not be commercially successful.

Second, taking down the transmission towers would hamper the Quetta station’s broadcast range. Third, while building a sports complex has the contours of political mileage, the fact remains that the government-constructed Shahwani Sports Stadium is located close to this Radio Pakistan installation.

It has the capacity to be further developed, in addition to there being available other large tracts of government-owned land on roads linking to Sariab Road, which can be used for the same purpose.

In fact, creative investments need to be made in this station and Radio Pakistan itself, so that the full potential can be mined of what is now a giant in decline.

Dawn