Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday laid foundation stone of a 1000 KW digital DRM medium wave transmitter project at Radio Pakistan, Rawat.
The transmitter will be installed in Rawat, Rawalpindi and is set to be completed in two years.
Upon arrival at Rawat Radio Pakistan, the minister was accorded warm welcome by its staff and officers. Federal Secretary Information Sohail Ali Khan, Director General Radio Tahir Hassan and a large number of journalists were present on the occasion.
Talking to media, Marriyum Aurangzeb reiterated the government’s commitment to upgrade Pakistan Television (PTV) and Radio Pakistan which were indispensable to promoting national heritage and narrative at the global level.
“The national broadcasting institutions are more than just structures as they hold a paramount position in representing the country’s identity to the entire world,” the minister added.
Marriyum regretted that the previous regime of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was bent upon auctioning the national institutions including Radio Pakistan and others.
Highlighting the pivotal role of these national broadcasters, she stressed that the government was determined to leverage PTV and Radio Pakistan to enhance Pakistan’s global presence and counter negative narratives about the country.
The minister said Radio Pakistan accomplished a milestone today as the first time in history a Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology had been launched.
She said Radio Pakistan was based on analogue and short-wave technology since 1947 and most of its transmitters had already completed their life. The broadcaster was in dire need of DRM as analogue and short-wave technologies became obsolete a long ago, she added.
Marriyum said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to release funds for transforming Radio Pakistan on modern lines.
The minister extended gratitude to PM, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal for the initiative.
With the implementation of the 1000 kilowatt digital DRM medium wave transmitter, she said Radio Pakistan’s reach would transcend borders, resonating in more than 52 countries.
She said the initiative would help promote Pakistan’s narrative, news, heritage, and culture across the world. Out of 20 existing transmitters of Radio Pakistan, 14 had already become obsolete.
The cutting-edge technology incorporated in the 1000kw medium wave transmitter would yield significant cost savings for Radio Pakistan, with an estimated 33% reduction in electricity consumption, she added.
She recalled that a group of arsonists set the Radio Pakistan archive and building on fire in Peshawar on May 9. Similarly, the same people attacked the building of Pakistan Television in 2014.
The minister said the building of Radio Pakistan in Peshawar and Chaghi Studio had been restored. Meanwhile, the upgradation of Radio Pakistan was started today.
It was a historic initiative that would enable overseas Pakistanis to access the Radio Pakistan broadcast across the world, she maintained.
The minister said PTVflix had also been launched by digitalizing the entire archive of Pakistan Television.
Likewise, the national archive of Radio Pakistan had been digitalized and would be inaugurated by PM Shehbaz Sharif this week.
She said apart from the subcontinent, audiences in Central Asia, the Middle East, the Far East, Turkey, and Greece would now be able to access Radio Pakistan.
“This initiative translates the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding digitalization,” she said adding the 1000KW transmitter installation would create job opportunities for the youth by increasing their engagement with Radio Pakistan.
She said the initiative would also improve efficiency of the Radio Pakistan.
