Digital migration policy of Radio Pakistan to be presented to PM: Secretary Information

ISLAMABAD, Dec 23 (APP):A digital migration policy for Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) will be presented to Prime Minister Imran Khan in the next week to convert the
broadcaster’s transmission from analague to digital system, Secretary Information Zahida Parveen said on Monday.

A sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting met here to discuss the ongoing reforms in Radio Pakistan. Convener Syed Aminul Haq chaired the meeting whic was attended by members of National Assembly Usman Khan Tarakzai and Maiza Hameed.

The Secretary said the digital migration of Radio Pakistan would be implemented in three phases at a cost of Rs 3.995 billion in six years.

She said since India was encroaching on radio frequencies of Pakistan, so the new digital policy of the Radio was important to increase its listenership and coverage and advance the narrative of country.

The committee was apprised during the briefing that All India Radio had planned digital management coverage and after its completion, over 70 percent of India and border areas would be covered with 30 DRM broadcast stations, so Pakistan also needed to transform its radio stations.

Director General Radio Pakistan Samina Waqar told during the briefing to the parliamentarians that in the first phase, to be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 42 million in one year, the pilot project of digital broadcast will be completed.

Other projects during this phase will include an one-kilowatt digital rights management (DRM), FM station in Islamabad, 400 KW digital AM station in Peshawar and 100 KW station in Dera Ismail Khan.

In the second phase to be completed in three years at a cost of Rs 3153 million, a 1000 KW digital station will be set up in Fort Monroe in district Dera Ghazi Khan and it will cover areas in all the four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Thirteen DRM FM stations of 10 to 5 KW in 13 cities will also be established in this phase after the availability of funds.

In the third phase, 100 KW digital AM stations will be set up in Lahore, Skardu, Quetta and Peshawar with a cost of Rs 800 million, keeping in view the country’s strategic requirements.

The committee was informed that the technology migration of Radio Pakistan from analogue to digital, would allow transmission of four channels on a single transmitter and crystal clear sound quality.

The transformation to digital will cut the operational costs of Radio Pakistan. The new technology was a necessity as the obsolete AM/FM held receivers were no more available in the market.

With the new digital technology, all locally assembled cars will be equipped with DRM receivers and the local assemblers and manufacturers will incorporate DRM capability in mobiles phones.

The sub-committee was told that Radio Pakistan was now spending 83 percent of its funds on salaries of employees and pensioners.

The committee convener Aminul Haq said Radio Pakistan should enter into joint ventures with the private sector and seek grant-in-aid as Japan had shown interest in funding projects by including in the digital policy.

The committee members stressed that the policy should be implemented transparently and according to the given timeline.