TV THOUGHTS: Channels eroding our newspaper reading habits: Grim political divide: Musical challenge to our cultural values

In view of the live and recorded discussions and analyses in the realm of politics, economics, and in fact just about everything, one is inclined to suggest that the habit of reading newspapers is being eroded. An imperceptible diminishing of the desire to pick up a newspaper to know what is happening. I am not saying anything new in this. I am merely suggesting that this is perhaps happening,; if not daily, then at least on week-ends.? After all there is only that much that an average viewer here, or anywhere needs to know, and if the Television medium meets this requirement, then why bother about the newspaper.
It has to happen sooner or later, and the faster the television grows as a medium, and for that matter the radio network too, the print media is going to suffer setbacks.
I have noticed that the Sunday morning habit of reading a newspaper is getting hurt because of the fact that there is that much of Sunday TV to be watched. Not just for the news, but also for the views. For the variety and the convenience that the average viewer has; simply the switching of channels via the remote.
Of course, the newspaper will always retain its appeal, its exclusivity, and the magic and mystery of words that draws a certain class of readers, as if to hold them in a trance, perhaps. But the picture, and the live picture is something that is an overpowering experience. A live event on a TV screen, miles away, is beyond argument something that surpasses all? I do not know what the future holds in store in the field of media, but I have observed that with time newspaper readers are turning into TV viewers. And this will affect economics of the print media and will determine the way and direction in which advertising will go. This is a theme that we need to keep on revisiting.
Political discussions on our TV channels: These have become very candid and very absorbing, to say the least. Very disturbing in a sense. Somehow the impact of hearing depressing statements and interpretations, and recollections about the country's history, on the citizen, via the electronic media is far stronger and deeper than the print media, in a sense. I repeat ,in a sense.
I would like to refer to a discussion in the generally candid and thought provoking Capital Talk that comes from Islamabad, and is anchored by a confident, and cheeky Hamid Mir, a print media journalist who has moved from the world of newspapers to television very successfully. This discussion went on air on Tuesday, with a scheduled repeat telecast on Wednesday morning. ARYOne's Views on News anchored by Dr Shahid Masood also follows the same format. So do Mujahid Barelvi's extremely engrossing interviews on the Indus channel.
As I write this I realise how much there is to watch vis-à-vis current affairs on our TV channels, the private independent channels. And for the official viewpoint, there is nothing to outscore. PTV, which is currently trying to ensure that all cable tv subscribers are able to get all four channels of PTV, I don't mind?
The Capital Talk I am referring to had the following three participants: Ghulam Mustafa Khar, a former Punjab Governor Syed Fakhre Imam, a former Speaker of the National Assembly, and Kashmala Tariq MNA from the ruling party, PML-Q. The main thrust of the discussion appeared to be a need, real or perceived, of having a national reconciliation, and national unity to save the Federation of Pakistan. That there was a need for national unity and a grand alliance of all the political leaders and parties in today's Pakistan, which Khar felt was facing a threat similar to the one Pakistan lived through before the East Pakistan crisis. Let me add that one has frequently heard political leaders and political analysts talk of the political conditions prevailing here being similar to those that we had in 1971.
In this discussion Hamid Mir also brought in for a live telephone talk, Asif Ali Zardari, who has been released on bail, and is in the media in a big way. Television has focused on him understandably, and from the text of his interviews, and his off the cuff remarks, it is evident that the eight years in jail have taken their toll.
He referred to his eight years in jail as being those of suffering, and in his brief comments said that there was a definite need to have politicians come together for the sake of Pakistan.
The point that he was asked was about his being a "bridge" between the government and the politicians, and he said that after having spent fifteen years in politics now, he knew all the leading politicians.
He was, however very clear that he was referring to genuine politicians and not those who had become politicians by circumstance. He remarked that it was not possible to wish away the phoney politicians, and in another context repeated what others have also said that there will be general election in Pakistan next year. Fakhre Imam also felt that there will be general election next year.
It is imperative to underline here that these and other statements, assertions and interpretations and the MMA's deadlines for President Musharraf vis-à-vis the holding of the offices of the Army chief and the President of Pakistan at the same time are heightening viewer interest in these TV programmes.
Ghulam Mustafa Khar on the basis of his experience, once again, took a very grim view of the conditions prevailing in Pakistan and advocated the strong, urgent need to have what he described a dialogue between the Army and the people. The goal: national reconciliation. Let byegones be byegones. He said that he was opposed to Nawaz Sharif at one time but today he is his friend of the former Prime Minister. He mentioned how well and memorably he had been received by Nawaz Sharif In Saudi Arabia, and the late Mian Sharif when he had gone there some time ago.
Of course, it was understandable to see MNA Kashmala Tariq holding the view that the situation was not as grim and grey as was being advocated by the opposition, and the interaction between her and the senior politicians was interesting.
The programme kept emphasising that she was a representative of the younger lot of politicians in Pakistan, and at one point Khar questioned the mandatory requirement of being a graduate to be able to contest the general election in Pakistan. So did Fakhre Imam and it was regrettable, they said that because of this the late Nawabzada Nasrullah could not contest the last election.
Obviously if one refers to current affairs talks on PTV, the tone and the content are both different, and one is certain that it does make the average citizen wonder what lies ahead.
There are many events and developments on the political scene in the country that are of deeper significance than what they appear on the surface. There is media focus on the MMA politics, and its campaign against the Government, mainly on the subject of the dual office law, and its deadline: 19th December.
That's the day when the last of its public meetings is to be held. This one is scheduled for Rawalpindi.
So in a way, the heat will be on.
And watching PTV through the week was ample opportunity to see the exclusive pictorial coverage of President Pervez Musharraf's visit to the United States, Britain and France. PTV world also afforded us an opportunity to hear the speeches that he had made before the overseas Pakistanis in those countries. Which meant it enabled us to hear, once again, his vision and the strategies and policies that he has been following and is going to continue with in the days ahead.
And it was on ARYOne that we heard Dr Shahid Masood ask an expert to comment on how things will unfold in this country with President Bush back for a second term.
Let me mention in passing that it was significant to see that channels like CNN and BBC also telecast live the press conference of the Pakistan President and the British Prime Minister as did ARYOne and Geo. The PTV did not was it of some problem with the c able operator?
Having watched Television on Sunday night or rather channel surfing that evening, I want to mention three of the award presentation ceremonies, which were perhaps reason enough not to watch PTV.
There was on Sony TV the awards given by the Gladrags magazine, India; there was the Hero Honda IT Awards and the Miss World 2004 award, the latter two on two Star channels. (Miss Peru won the Miss World award, in case some readers still don't know!)
In passing one may mention here that in India there is coming up (says one TV channel) a Mrs India beauty contest. I must repeat: Mrs India.
This is for married women, of all ages. One naughty viewer referred to the growing TV focus on the HIV/Aids context when he saw this incentive for married women to make their beauty public.
We live in contrasting times. I saw on Tuesday night , a women's issues discussion on ARYOne and the three participants included Ayesha Munawar an MNA of MMA ,and Mrs Shaista Zaidi. The third one was a gentleman, whose name I don't remember.
Let me return to the award presentation ceremonies especially the one sponsored by the Gladrags magazine. In addition to the conventional glamour that such musical evenings have, this one had plenty of women in swimsuits and of all sizes. That's all. And men too in swimming trunks, on the stage.! That's all.
There is no doubt that these programmes, via the cable, would not be watchable in many Pakistani families. Challenging our cultural values, to say the least.
I was disappointed to see a PTV presenter advocate to viewers the thought that there is no need to plan one's life, as it does not work out that way in the long run.
This was suggested by Tauseef Haidar in the Rising Pakistan programme when he was interviewing a distinguished architect, whose surname was Sherpao.
Tauseef Haidar who comes through as rather pretentious and egotistical, and wears clothes so casual that one would imagine he has walked into the studios straight from a fast food restaurant, said that planning does not reward on an individual basis, but that it is different in the case of architects. They do have to plan.
He sounded further ridiculous when he asked the noted architect whether he was going to advocate "another Islamabad".
The poor architect answered promptly in the negative, adding that one was enough. Pakistan needed smaller cities and towns now, in the future he said.
By the way, in its efforts to become like other Pakistani channels PTV has brought in some very weird, clumsy male and female presenters.
Gone, that grace, that elegance, that poise, that discretion. In comes Tauseef Haidar!