Government to buy equipment to monitor talk shows

ISLAMABAD: The government will buy Rs30.4 million equipment to monitor the talk shows of private TV channels.
Sizable amount will be set aside in the development budget for the coming year for setting up broadcast centres at the Control Line, Working Boundary and frontiers close to Iran, China and Afghanistan to extend transmission of the Pakistani media.
National Film Academy will be set up in Islamabad to revive the film industry, it has been decided. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will propose plans worth more than Rs1.5 billion under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in budget 2015-16.
The projects aim to translate Urdu dramas into English, Arabic and Spanish to promote the soft image of the country. According to official documents, the ministry will propose 16 projects for the coming budget including setting up of Sotul Quran FM network all through the country.
These projects will cost more than Rs580 million while Rs140 million will be spent on two projects of PTV. Rs50 million will be spent on setting up Sotul Quran FM network in the country. In the wake of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Rs40.5 will be set aside for the security of Mazar-e-Quaid and Rs10 million for building Pakistan Park in Karachi.
Similarly, Rs4 million will be spent on constructing a news building for the APP, Rs50.5 for procurement of equipment for monitoring media transmission, Rs50 million for installing film projects system in PNCA, Rs30 million for renovation of PID Karachi office, Rs30.27 million for setting up Academy of Letters Regional Centre in Peshawar, while Rs911 million will be spent on the 43 projects already included in the PSCP. Documents also showed that in 2014-15, Rs420 million was set aside for 35 projects of the ministry but only Rs180 million was issued.