Disruption in PM’s speech due to technical mismatch: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Monday said specific disruptions in the speech of Prime Minister Imran Khan were owing to a technical mismatch as the recording was done on HD system and PTV aired it on analogue system.

Briefing National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage on specific disruptions in Prime Minister’s speech, aired on June 11, she said the Prime Minister’s speech was not a formal speech but it was a recorded message on some important issues.

The speech of Prime Minister was recorded by a private media house on HD technology, whereas Pakistan TV still has analogue system, she said.

Dr Firdous lamented that the latest technology could not be introduced in PTV in the last five years and it was still being run on obsolete system. The PM’s speech was recorded on HD system and PTV was on analogue system, result was disruptions, she added.

She said the government had no intentions to air the speech on June 11 but a news was aired quoting sources that the speech would be aired that night. She said PEMRA has no role in entire episode.

PTV did not want to air the speech on June 11 but was compelled to do so due to airing of news, she added. Chairman National Assembly Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Mian Javed Latif had raised the issue of disruptions in PM’s speech.

He also criticized PEMRA for often changing serial numbers of some TV channels in the last of channels to be aired by cable operators. He also expressed solidarity with Sami Ibrahim. Javed Latif directed Secretary Ministry of Information, Broadcasting to present a comprehensive strategy to clear dues of media persons from their employers.

He also criticized the appointment of former Managing Director PTV Arshad Khan as Chairman BoDs, PTV. He said the representatives of journalist organizations and media owners should be invited in the next meeting to discuss the issue of non-payment of salaries to journalists. Aminul Haq said the salaries of media persons should be linked with advertisements.