Somewhat unsure of which theme to pick up first, I propose to begin with something like the PTV licence fee collection system which has been introduced from this financial year, in a way that almost makes it compulsory for consumers of electricity in the country to pay it. There is apparently a procedure to be followed if one wants to claim that the house has no TV set. There is room for argument here.
Under the new system those consumers who use more than 100 units of electricity would have to pay Rs25 every month with their electricity bill. This has in all probability been done not just to ensure that people pay for the TV set they operate, but also to raise revenue for the Pakistan Television corporation. That PTV's financial position is weak ,vulnerable, and will remain under pressure in the immediate future at least, is something very obvious .With competition from cable and satellite TV ,with more and more TV channels that will be available to Pakistani audiences, there is little doubt that PTV is going to have a tough time. And because its credibility has always been low, and suspect, being an inherent problem, there is small space for optimism.
But PTV"s revenue and its credibility are not the real concerns of consumers who contend even now that there is no reason why they should compulsorily pay the TV licence fee. A newspaper report last month said that according to a study "the government would generate Rs227.5million revenue monthly in the name of TV licence fee from over 91million domestic electricity users consuming 100 units or more. The annual amount will shoot up to Rs2.73billion that may be a record TV licence fee collected through utility bills in the history of the country".
Having said this much on PTV getting its licence fee through unfailing means it needs to be said that this reflects the larger resolve of the government machinery to enlarge the existing tax base - to rope in as many tax payers at various levels of society. That of course is another domain, but returning to the PTV theme, it will be appropriate to focus on a PTV advertisement which details PTV's plans of hiring males and females for its Urdu and English news bulletins, to become newscasters. The advertisement for these newscasters is ambitious, and reads loud like this "Come, break the News to millions. "This advertisement makes one contemplate on the current list of newscasters. They are, as a rule, very disappointing, and this is not just their inability to present the news in a professional way, but often their spoken English is embarrassing, to say the least. It betrays the point that perhaps in the news rooms of the PTV there is no one who can be relied upon for what is described as correct acceptable pronunciation of English. It reflects the falling standards of English in the academic sphere in this country, and need one say more on this
To quote from this advertisement which lists the criteria for newscasters as follows: "Pleasant and well groomed personality, confident and smart, excellent communication skills, with proper pronunciation and delivery, knack of current affairs, at least a bachelor's degree from a recognised institution, must be 25 to 35 years of age, journalistic background will be an added advantage". Quite oddly the advertisement indicates the search was only for Islamabad. Bear in mind what we said last time that the PTV was looking for a new advertising agency to enable it to have a new look. Good. But viewers would love to see what is the credibility level that PTV news itself can reach .Newscasters can do little when the text they handle is not news, and when all that viewers have to do is switch to another news channel, that is quicker, bolder, and has a thematic variety in a world of options, and options galore.
Anyway it will be interesting to see the results of this PTV effort to find English and Urdu newscasters the need for which has been felt for quite some time now. It is high time there was respite from the weather beaten style of news reading, and the suffocating mediocrity that we have been exposed to .It is a supremely boring combination to have news bulletins reporting speeches, statements and intentions,(unreal and that alone often) dished out by men and women whose wooden expressions put you to sleep .Enough on this for now.
I mentioned Asma Shirazi of Geo last time. She is a young newswoman, who was also reporting from India during the general elections in that country. It was that remarkable confidence ,and clarity that she demonstrated that made her stand out, and above all it was the pride and grace with which she wore her headscarf that reflected the fact that she came from Pakistan. She established her identity, and that of Pakistan. I remember the intelligent, perceptive manner in which she spoke to showbiz people Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi and held her head high, Level headed too.
One is not sure how many young women like her wear the dignified head scarf which she does so well, but it does remind one of the days when PTV tried to make the dupatta compulsory and there were such young women who refused. Pakistani TV and society have come a long way since those days, almost thirty years ago.
Somewhat pertinent to mention here in the religious programmes of ARY Digital, ARYOne QTV and Geo there are often panel discussions and question-answer sessions (even those questions that are phoned in and paid for by the callers) wherein are discussed themes that relate to the role of the veil ,and headscarf in the larger concept of "Purdah in Islam". One such discussion took place on Tuesday evening over Geo in the religious programme called "Alif", compered by the competent Aneeq Ahmad. The participants were Maulana Asad Thanvi, Maulana Javed Ahmad Ghamedi,
Fauzia Wahab, MNA, from PPP, and Tayyaba Yusufi, an Islamic scholar.
I have often wondered how Pakistani homes receive such Islamic programmes that deal directly with the daily lives of the people, and wherein are indicated in unambiguous terms the do's and dont's as prescribed in Islam. This particular programme revolved around serious real issues that relate to what a woman must wear to be within the domain of ethics and modesty in today's world. Tayyaba Yusufi and Maulana Asad Thanvi were very vehement in their views that women need to be properly covered at all times in public,and in instances where they have to resist secular and alien forces and influences. It was all said and done a highly useful weighty programmes,as is often the case with many of these real life issues that Alif and other programmes come up with. Religious programmes on QTV and ARY channels are amongst the popular ones, that families watch, and comfortably.
I would like to refer to a news report datelined Paris 6th July which said that "France's official Muslim council almost collapsed in a flareup over a ban on Islamic headscarves but has found a compromise that should help avoid a showdown when schools reopen in September 2004,its leader said on Tuesday. "Evidently in a post 9/11 scenario themes like headscarves have become major issues, symbolic of the values and directions the world is taking currently. And need one say that the Islamic programmes have assumed a tone of immediacy and urgency ,that is so overt, obvious.

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What is the role and the status of the police in Pakistani society.? In its ongoing current affairs programme "Achanak Kaheen Bhi" one Tuesday evening the interview er who investigated the subject over a couple of programmes appeared to summarise that there was a great deal that needed to be done for the policeman if he is to be able to deliver .There is some sense in this approach and the fact that sections of the media are able to plead the cause of the poorly paid cops reflects the realism that is making its presence felt in our lives, in our hearts and minds. The common and even popular practice is to go in for police bashing, as if those cops have come from somewhere else.
There were actual statements from policemen about the hardships they face in their lives, their low social status, their insufficient salaries, the pathetic quality of their uniforms and how by implication they are compelled to resort to other ways and means to support their families.
Geo's Monday night regular programme "Followup with Fahd" had some particularly thought provoking themes which were the result of a certain national survey carried out recently to determine the attitude of the public towards state institutions, and concepts like democracy, elections, the elected representatives, and the subject of politics. Journalist Fahd Hussain was talking to Amjad Parvez who apparently was behind the national survey, and two women politicians Hina Parvez Khar,and Sughra Imam.
The survey seemed to indicate that the people of Pakistan don't care much about politics in this country. and that a majority don't know much about democracy here. The level of indifference was reportedly higher in the urban areas, when it came to politics, and both women politicians argued that the contact between leaders and people in the rural areas was more and real. To a question about themselves in the ambience of this collective nonchalance, one of the two ladies said that this lot of elected representatives will have to prove themselves. Why they repeatedly made caustic comments was rather inexplicable, even uncalled for.
In passing one must also mention that a major thrust in the programme was Fahd's conversation with the Hollywood star Angelina Jolie, who is also a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The question answer session with her centred around Afghan refugees and how the very concept of refugees has an emotional impact on the actress. Her presence lent some star value to the programme, and like a diplomat she maintained poise and discretion which seemed to go well with her youthful buoyant self.
And finally let me pick up the music theme, via Jagjeet Singh whose almost hour long recorded programme was telecast by Geo TV on Saturday night(3rd July)It was repeat telecast on Sunday afternoon to enable those who had missed it to see it. To hear it rather. It is always good to hear Jagjeet Singh, and this was a recording from a Pakistan programme. He sang his popular geets and ghazals, and some of his semi classical (?) ones too. But perhaps he has done his best in the years gone by, and now is resting on laurels and reputation. Of course he was in form, rendering his memorable ghazals in that warmly intoxicating manner, but it seemed that he was very conscious of the need to be popular with the Pakistani audience.
Jagjeet has long been my own favourite too, and I don't know how fair it would be say that he reminds me in a positive way of that legendary ghazal exponent Talat Mahmood. He was another favourite of mine, not just for the melancholy and sadness of his voice, but also because so many of his unforgettable songs were filmed on that legendary tragedy king Dilip Kumar.my all time favourite, and weakness.,
Jagjeet, Talat Mahmood and Dilip Kumar.I have drifted into the realm of nostalgia and a world of my own, and this is one of the pleasures of doing this column,....for all memory is eventually sweet, this too.