By Agha Iqrar Haroon
At a critical phase in its history, Pakistan’s state-run television channel PTV is facing a severe financial crisis. It has yet to clear the salaries of its employees for the past three months, raising a debate: Does Pakistan still need a state-run television channel when over a hundred private channels are already operating and largely follow the state’s preferred narrative?
This debate, however, is neither academically sound nor professionally relevant. The reality is that even the P-5 countries (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) continue to maintain state-run television channels, radio networks, and news agencies. Experience has shown that when it comes to state policies and official announcements, news from BBC, VOA, TRT, RT, and CCTV is regarded as more credible than any private outlet. Historically and practically, state-sponsored media organizations are never financially independent; they require state funding to operate. It is therefore unrealistic to expect PTV to be financially self-sustaining when no such model exists even in the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, or China.
From the 1965 war to Marka-e-Haq, PTV has consistently served as the mouthpiece of the national narrative, instilling patriotism, mobilizing public sentiment, and countering hostile propaganda. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar recently praised PTV for its role in projecting Pakistan’s stance and countering Indian propaganda during the military standoff in May this year. At the flag-hoisting ceremony at PTV Headquarters, he remarked that the contributions of the Ministry of Information, PTV, and its affiliated departments to narrative warfare would be “written in golden words.”
He was absolutely right. I personally witnessed this during an international media conference I attended last month where hundreds of senior media professionals congratulated me, noting that Pakistan’s state-run news agency APP and PTV were far ahead of India in providing factual and credible information, rather than propaganda. Their appreciation was an honor for me as a Pakistani. Alas, they did not know that the very professionals running PTV were waiting for months to receive their salaries.
Ironically, the modest but sustainable funding mechanism that once kept PTV afloat was abruptly withdrawn. For decades, PTV had been funded through a Rs. 35 surcharge added to electricity bills—a sum so small that today it cannot even buy a cup of tea, yet it ensured smooth operations. The government, however, eliminated this surcharge citing it as an unnecessary burden on consumers, only to impose a flat Rs. 1,000 per month on every electricity bill instead. Now, PTV is left dependent on quarterly state grants, awaiting approvals and disbursements from the Finance Ministry. With this structure, PTV practically owns no revenue stream except advertising.
The Federal Minister’s appreciation of PTV, APP, and other state-run media organizations was timely and necessary. It uplifted the morale of those working tirelessly under harsh conditions. He was correct in acknowledging PTV’s pivotal role in shaping and projecting Pakistan’s national narrative, especially in the domain of information warfare. But while narrative battles are continuous and require vigilance, the people fighting these battles also need an environment that sustains them.
Behind every broadcast are individuals burdened with worries about paying rent, buying medicines for hospitalized family members, and clearing their children’s school fees before the 10th of each month. For them to effectively defend Pakistan’s ideological frontiers in the global media sphere, the state must first defend their dignity by ensuring timely salaries and stable funding.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk.
