Director General Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) Murtaza Solangi said here, on Sunday, that despite financial constraints, the corporation has decided to regularise all 1281 contractual employees working with the organisation.
In an interview with APP, the Director General PBC said, "after approval from PBC Board of Directors and the Information Ministry, the case for their regularisation has been forwarded to the Finance Division".
He said, "PBC has recently regularised the services of 48 guest producers and resource persons. Earlier the services of 22 contractual staff members were also regularised. Regarding PBC employees protest over non-payment of 15 and 20 per cent adhoc relief announced in Budget 2009-10 he said that it was the right of the employees and the management was in contact with the Ministry for release of funds for this purpose.
"We faced similar problem last year and the employees had to wait till release of special supplementary grant Rs 109 million on the direction of the Prime Minister.
About progress on the Charter of Demand given by the Employees Union, he said that a committee had been formed to examine its demands and now PBC has sought supplementary grant of Rs 200 million from the government for this purpose.
However, he revealed that all contractual employees of the PBC were already getting 20 percent adhoc relief as the management felt that they had meagre salaries and were hit by high inflation.
Murtaza Solangi said he has made several changes in PBC and a full-fledged News Channel has been introduced. Since August 28,2008 the News Channel airs 17-hour transmission daily. He said that hallmark of the News Channel is that it broadcasts its programmes in various languages.
The DG PBC said that during Station Directors conference held after a gap of five years, the PBC language policy has been changed and now the regional radio stations give 70 per cent time to local languages.
"We have flipped the language policy. In the past, 70 percent programmes were in the main language of Urdu and only 30 percent in the regional languages. Now, it's the other way around", he stated.
He said that with the passage time the role of radio world over has changed. Community radio stations carry news and information programming geared toward the local area, mostly neglected by mainstream radio and media, he added.
Regarding capacity-building of PBC staff, he said he has taken the initiative and a group of 45 producers is being trained in the radio Academy presently.
Similarly, he added that he has set up a Human Resource Management section in the corporation to enhance capacity of the staff. To a question, he said that Radio Pakistan was playing its due role in war against terrorism.
"During operation in Swat and Malakand not only we contributed in the PM's fund, but also organised concerts for collecting funds for the IDPs."
He said that under its changed policy Radio Pakistan is expanding its co-operation with other broadcasters of the world." In near future we are going to sign two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Radio China International. Similarly the PBC has entered into a agreement with Voice of America (VoA).
He dispelled the impression created by section of press about the agreement by stating that we have only sold our airtime to the VoA and all programmes broadcast through PBC transmitters are under a strict regime of checks and balances.
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