Plan afoot to revive state-run TV, Senate told

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz on Thursday informed the Senate that the government has prepared a comprehensive plan to revive the state-run television past glory to make it a financially viable institution.

Replying to various questions during question hour, the minister said that unfortunately the state-run TV was witnessing decline for the last many years. Like other institutions, the state-run TV was also degenerated by the past governments, he added.

Shibli said political inductions were made in the state TV in the past. He said purchased programmes were telecast in the past rather than their own production in the studios at different centres. However, he said in-house production was again being started to stand the organization on its own feet.

The minister said due to financial constraints, equipment could not be replaced since 1974. He said currently there were three non-functional studios at different centres of the state TV.