ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) is trying its best to improve its financial position by taking various steps including sale of air time, increasing its net advertisement income.
An official told APP here Thursday that the PBC has sold one hour air time to Voice of America (VOA) and two hours air time to China Radio International (CRI) adding two hours would fetch revenue of over Rs 54.00 million per annum.
He said that the corporation has rented out 9 floors of PBC building of BR Karachi situated at Hassan Esquire Karachi at a rent of Rs.9.742 million per annum for a period of three years with 10% increase every year.
The Corporation, he said, has signed an agreement with a company which is engaged in the business of digital media communication offering services of website designing, development, maintenance, registration and hosting etc.
According to this agreement all the website properties of PBC will be marketed by the company through Google AdSence monetization.
It is expected that a handsome amount will be earned by the PBC through this agreement.
He said that a case has been taken up with the Ministry of IB&NH for levy of one time Broadcast Cess @ Rs. 5000 per unit on the sale of all categories of imported and locally manufactured vehicles, which are equipped with Radio Receivers in order to improve the financial condition of the corporation.
It was expected that this proposal will yield an amount of Rs. 1120 million per annum.
But the request of PBC could not win the favour of the concerned quarters.
However the corporation has not given up the hope and it is continuing efforts to convince Finance Division through M/o IB&NH to incorporate the proposal.
The official said the commercial income of PBC has been increased from 192.613 million in 2012-13 to Rs. 332 028 million in 2013-14 and Rs. 325.658 million in 2014-15 due to concrete efforts of the corporation with meager sales staff.
The corporation could not grab market share of advertisement as per its potential due to shortage of sales staff and resources.
So the PBC management has given exclusive marketing rights of FM 101 Net work to a firm for a period of one year in January 2014 to enhance advertisement income by at least 50% of net income of Rs. 60.00 million for the year 2012.
Later the agreement was extended up to December 2016 on Non-exclusive basis.
To a question, he said that the Corporation is a statutory Public Service Corporation established under PBC Act-1973.
As it is not a commercial undertaking, the Federal Government provides Grant in Aid to meet its day to day expenditure and Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for development projects.
He said that its aim is to provide broadcast services for the purpose of disseminating information, education, entertainment and to promote National Unity and Justice to upgrade the social behavior of public as enunciated in PBC Act.
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