Press Gallery

MD thrives as long as PTV survives

Saeed Minhas

Islamabad: Lower House witnessed not only budgetary speeches from the forgotten members of all political parties but also a token walk out staged by MQM Bhai Logs on issue of target killing in Karachi but it was the Upper house where a mild tug of war between Noon League and Maulana-regiment seems to have taken the ugly turn thus developing into a real match-fixing drama where brief case brigades are out to present a show with their horses trading places like trained jockeys.

With horses from the House of Saif-ayuns and the usual suspects from the league of FATA-Independents up for grab, a mini show is likely to take place eventually between the likes of Dollar-Dar and BOT-Waqar for ensuring a moral victory over each other. Assuming all this foreplay (or you may call it foul-play) is leading everyone towards the next elections, Dar seems to have taken a stance and is likely to take this game to the hilt.

As some insiders, privy to these developments implied that so far the man on hill top has not moved much but due to preservance of Senator Ishaq Dar, the parliamentary leader of Noon League in Senate, things seem to have started moving in the Senate and he eventually will have to push his troubleshooter (or you may say money-shooter) Senator Waqar in the foray just to see that how far Dar (or for that matter N League) can go. Though it’s a war for the seat of opposition leader in the Upper House and its between Maulana Fazalur Rehman and Noon League—both being in Opposition–but knowing that how short of resources Maulana is these days, many insiders believe that he will (some say he already has) send an SOS to the Presidency to meet the demand (Draft) requirements of the situation. After all Maulana is at odds with Premier Gilani but not with Mr. President and he is likely to use the privileges promised to him at the time of un-ceremonial departure from federal cabinet. So keep your fingers crossed and wait for the next few days to know that what transpired at the recently inaugurated Dar & waqar political stock exchange of Senate.

Transgressing from the politics lets dive into our left over topic of state run television PTV where planning commission of Pakistan is waiting to hear from its current MD that how daringly he spent Rs 220 million without even informing, let alone seeking the prior approval of the competent authority during one of his last tenure as MD PTV.  This huge amount, as I was informed by the insiders carrying documentary evidence in the parliamentary cafeteria, was spent to construct the infamous Chaghi Studio within PTV Centre, Islamabad.  

Since the planning commission has raised an objection over this unilateral use of public funds by a political appointee to a state run corporation, therefore, our mole confirmed that even FIA got involved in this to investigate this matter. But as we all know that someone who has climbed the 16 rungs (from sales executive of a fashion magazine to the MD) with the stroke of pen by our benevelant Mian sahib of Raiwaind Sharif, certainly has got someone to keep not only FIA investigators quite for past two years but also hs managed to evade the continuous queries from Planning Commission. Therefore, it makes more sense to find the same person returning to the post of MD for the third time without even bothering that its not the only inquiry he has left behind but there are at least five others pending in the cabinets of various departments of PTV and even Auditor General and Pakistan Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

As various other sources confirmed that not only a huge amount was spent on construction of a dream studio—which has rendered many sick over the past many years due to extreme airconditioning required for the video wall thus forcing the employees to bring wollen coats or shawls even during sweltering hot days of June, but also spent few more millions of state funding on purchase of engineering and TV equipments for the same studio in December 2007 without following the well defined PPRA rules. It’s in the PTV record books shown to this scribe by the same official that not only internal auditors but even the auditor general of Pakistan raised objection to this, upon which an additional secretary from ministry of information and broadcasting had to conduct an inquiry and ultimately found the MD responsible. But again action is awaited on that inquiry.

As I had mentioned in the previous column—and I am sure that the if the experienced, with a proven track record MD was not aware of the basic difference between a news report and a ress Gallery than at least one manning the media relations should have known this difference—that it was not about the personalities, it was about the working of PTV. Days of state propaganda have long gone and in an age and time when the communications has become a scientific art, it need to be run by professionals of clean credentials so that amidst all the commercial-hungry private media houses, it can lead by example besides taking the responsibilities of the state to inform, educate and entertain the people so that society can have develop the habit of having an informed debate on issues of national importance.

With over 6000 employees already stuffed in the state run television, hiring some more by the MD might not make that big difference but what makes difference is the quality of those hired and capacity building of those stuffed in their on the recommendations of successive information ministers. Being a public funded state corporation where everyone of us is paying a fee, mandatory with the electricity bills every month, and which forms the 70 per cent of the revenue of the state run television, we have the right to know that why this experienced and one with proven track record has doled out back-dated increments to his beloved men. Certainly making the financial sense of a state corporation remains the prime job of the MD but how can he make that sense when against the recorded profits of just Rs 70 million during last year he has dished out benefits of over Rs 700 million to the employees? Will this 1000 per cent hike in dole-outs be funded from bank OD? Certainly yes, because after a few months and claims of the new management, PTV has gone back on bank loans. If that’s what professional hand can do to a state corporation than can we really say that PTV will be any different than Railways or Wapda or any other white elephant government is criticized for. May be not.

As for the assertion of the state TV’s media person that issue of three per cent was not read properly by this scribe, let me ask him that by endorsing my point that new MD has got a share of three per cent in the revenues he has raised many more queries. As per the documentation, new MD is realizing the three per cent profits n a monthly basis, whereas, he himself told the Senate’s standing committee a few months back that recoveries take more than mandatory 120 days (in some cases even ten years) and risk of non-recoveries has always haunted the state run media. So what if the new MD continues to capatilise his windfall every month and non recoveries of his time never get realized, than who will be paying for his adventure, certainly the tax payer.

As for the issue of increase in revenues, let me quote the PTV’s own figures, again thanks to my moles, which shows that figure new management is claiming shows in itself that PTV’s revenues have actually gone down by a big margin in the past one year. The maximum a few years back they managed to generate through PTV screens, and that too with the mega event of ICC World Cup, was Rs 2.2 billion as against his claim of 2.1 billion this year. Considering the fact that US $ 14. 5 million (approx 1.25 billion) amount was paid to get coverage rights for ICC world cup and then around 1.5 billion generated through revenues of the matches shown in last March-April then where does the real collection figures of revenue stands?

Therefore, my submission is not against anyone but for the better financial management and content development of PTV from a purely professional angle and those, perhaps with vested interest, might still want to say that PTV is not going bankrupt, seems to be living in some kind of paradise, which suits only to ruling elite but not to the commoners. Still there is time to either follow BBC or VOG models to make this state run media including radio Pakistan and APP more relevant to the people and less to the ‘professionals’ with ‘proven track records’.