Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has decided to upgrade its FM's Radio network for providing media's support to its 1.3 million students across the country in their academic pursuits. It has been planned to install new transmitters at eight major cities, Karachi, Lahore, Mirpur (AJK), Peshawar, D.G. Khan, Bahawalpur, Peshawar and Quetta. This task will be completed by end of this year.
This is part of the initiatives taken by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui during the last three and half years for using multi-media's resources to provide academic support to the students, said a news release.
Currently, the AIOU's FM Radio (91.6) transmission is available within the range of 60 kilometres in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
According to the University's Institute of Educational Technology, on the directives of the Vice Chancellor, the timing of the FM's radio has been extended and now its transmission goes in air from 9 am to 9 pm.
Students and teachers are invited to participate in the daily transmission that also carries some entertainment programs. The FM's programs are accessible to Facebook as well. The students' feedback to this effect is highly positive and encouraging. The University has also started broadcasting the FM's radio program in different regional languages, other than the Urdu.
Pakistan television is already presenting the University's educational programs in various disciplines on regular basis. Besides, the books and other reading material, the students are also being facilitated through audio/video support to ensure better results in the exams. The University's Web-TV is also available to facilitate the students. It telecast its program from 9 am. 3 pm. daily.