Information and images

The new Managing Director of Pakistan Television Corporation Arshad Khan seems to be a man of vision and is reputed to know the art of converting a loss making organization into a profit making one. But this time he has a different kind of company and a different kind of product to market.
After successfully marketing cell phone connections - Ufone for a long time, he has now been picked up by the Ministry of Information as the Chief Executive of PTV to market ideas, information and images.
The electronic media market is becoming competitive with the passage of each day. New channels in the private sector are being given licenses as well as liberty to air their views on all issues that act upon human beings. Many of the channels have attracted attention of the viewers who always plunge in their davenports with a remote control to decide what next. Because back homes after a hectic day their choice is complete relaxation, rich dinner and a sound sleep. The viewers, including housewives and children, all are in a hurry. They cannot be asked to wait to watch a programme and till that time comes, they are already through programmes of their choosing.
The choices of channels have made the remote control one of the most lethal weapons in the hands of the viewers. All channel operators have to fear this devilish device. At times leisurely viewers have no choice and they simply draw pleasure in hop stop and jump game with the remote control. In the process they stop and watch what attracts them. At times the viewers use remote control to fly at selected quarry and after enjoying the channel switch it off.
To make a channel attractive for all-age-group-viewers a mix of programmes ranging from dry news report, current affairs and business report to plays, music and sexy and saucy catwalk by lovely and moderately nude models is the usual masala. Seemingly this masala is a jamming device even against the naughty remote control.
However, this mix is available on all channels across the world. PTV MD Arshad Khan knows all about this. He is the opinion that innovation in the light of needs of the viewers is the answer to this challenge. He is of the view that the electronic media should now come out of this masala syndrome and begin to think in terms of aesthetics and contents to make a channel popular and commercially viable project. "We have some responsibility toward our people and that should be fulfilled."
He also knows that PTV is different than private channels, its needs are different and its focus is different. He knows his limitations and constrains "those who pay for an organization have a right to act according to their needs but in the case of PTV this desire is to be rationalized".
At a meeting held on Friday at PTV Karachi centre, Arshad Khan said that he had three challenges to deal with: one to restore falling financial health of the PTV and make it a self-sustaining organization, provide standard entertaining programmes and rationalize presentation of news and views. He said that it was a difficult job but "challenges are there to be met".
According to a report, audited accounts of the Pakistan Television Corporation have shown losses of Rs 343 million and stuck up recoveries of Rs 1.2 billion by March 2004 despite around Rs 300 million profits booked during 2003.
The PTV chief said that the Corporation was in deep financial crisis and needed corrective measures.
PTV has potential to sell its products and make money provided it learns to manage its affairs well with professional approach as the advertising budget, for electronic media is around Rs three billion and the most aggressive image seller will get the bigger slice of the cake.
Khan said his priority was to recover the outstanding money, curtail unnecessary expenditure and economize on the expenditure through efficient financial management.
He said that overstaffing of unproductive nature was a severe problem and needed pruning at different stages.
The PTV chief said that market based salary and target oriented appointments provided solution but it was not the only option to go ahead. There should be people well versed in human resource management, financial management and marketing to make the product sell. Those who are creative should be provided support and encouragement in their work.
Khan would like his colleagues to work as professionals whether they were given assignments of creative nature or administrative duties as without the combination of the two activities commercial success would be difficult.
The combination of the two activities would enhance the quality of the product and, therefore, its acceptability would be better.
Khan said, "Though PTV has its limitations but as compared to other channels its products have been popular. Its music programme, plays and talk shows have always attracted viewers."
He said Current Affairs and News had been criticized but then national priorities were to be protected through these telecasts. PTV is in public sector and it has to strike a critical balance between the preference of the viewers and the responsibility bestowed upon it by the government.
Though Khan says he has been given free hand, what he calls mandate, by the ministry with a view to bringing about changes in the organization, selection of products, its presentations and marketing but it seems difficult to change the ingredients of the News and Current affairs programmes.
Apparently a maulvi sahib, Khan would have to go against many strict interpretations of women empowerment, liberation and basic rights offered by a powerful segment of politicians in power because without including attractive faces and presenting them in a glamorous manner, no channel can survive. Even the Saudi Arabian channel has plump women from Lebanon to host some of its programmes. They are anchors for many talk shows. At times these women are dressed up in awe-inspiring manners, and to many, look provocative.
TV is an area where ideas and images sell. Those who have better ideas, classy glamour and ability to undertake aggressive marketing, will survive in this delicate world of light and shades.
Khan has trust in his abilities and his approach toward marketing has given him sufficient confidence with which he hopes to give PTV a new look. But to bring back the lost viewers is the real challenge he has to face with. In the overall strategy he is likely to draw for the overhauling of the organization - room for aesthetics, telling of the truth to the audience, credibility of statements issued and tolerance against opposing views will have to be created to make the strategy work.