KARACHI  -  Pakistan Broadcasting Corpora­tion (PBC) Director General (DG) Saeed Ahmed Sheikh, Tuesday, said that efforts were underway for revival of past glory of Radio Pakistan and for resolving finan­cial issues of the corporation.

He was speaking during visit of New Broadcasting House PBC Karachi on the occasion of World Radio Day being observed on February 13. Station Director PBC Karachi Mehboob Sultan, Deputy Controller News Malahat Soulat, DC Engineering Imranu­lah Khan, DC Admin Arbab Ali Rahujo, other officers and staff member were also present at the occasion. The DG said that to make the corporation financially viable a new business plan has been envisaged and it will be pre­sented in next meeting of Board of Directors of PBC for approval.

The business plan contains 15 points including creation of audio books, collaboration with National Book Foundation, rationalisation of electricity tariff for PBC, utilisa­tion of PBC properties across the country for revenue generation in public private partnership mode and audio signal levy on vehicles travel on motorways, he informed. 

The government was commit­ted with revival of Radio Paki­stan and measures were being taken in the regard, he said, add­ing that the caretaker Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi paid a visit to Radio Pakistan Is­lamabad on the occasion of World Radio Day and also read English news. He said that Transmitter at Radio Pakistan Khairpur has been changed in just one day to improve outreach of the radio station while transmitters at Hy­derabad and Larkana will soon be changed as well. Besides, we are also working to improve digital transmission of PBC and shifting of programmes on DRM across the country, he added. He further informed that newsletter of PBC ‘Aahang’ was under publication from 1948 but it was not getting government advertisement. Now Aahang has been placed on offi­cial media list and it could get ad­vertisement form federal and pro­vincial governments, he added. 

Another important initia­tive taken was aimed at making the radio more relevant with the society, he said and added that opening the doors of Radio Pakistan for youth particularly the students of colleges and uni­versities and holding Mushairas was part of that initiative. Seead Ahmed Sheikh urged the PBC em­ployees to promote contacts and coordination with poets, writers and intellectuals to achieve the objectives. He also emphasised that employees must work with dedication and bring innovation in content and behaviour and uti­lise resources of the corporation in judicious manner.