KARACHI: Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU) on Saturday organized a one-day seminar titled ‘Significance and Role of Radio Stations in Pakistan’ to celebrate 100 years of commercial radio.
Speaking on the occasion, prominent broadcaster and former regional director of Radio Pakistan Naseer Mirza said that radio has played a very pivotal role in supporting and preservation of local languages.
“The radio [Pakistan] has safeguarded folk music, singers and local instruments,” he added.
Mirza was of the view that the radio was the strong medium of communication in far-flung areas of the country. He said that in the cities, various media sources remained active to keep the general public updated but, he added, the radio is still a favourite medium for villagers.
While sharing historical aspects and the contribution of radio in the political arena and social change, the well-known journalists Wusat Ullah Khan said that the radio has remarkably changed the world.
“In past, the voice of kings was not accessible to the masses,” he said. “The radio prominently reduced this gap the first time”.
SMIU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Mujeebuddin Sahrai Memon said that the radio was the first institution that was established on the foundation day of Pakistan.
“The people in interior parts still listen to the radio [Pakistan],” Dr. Memon said.
He said that the radio not in Pakistan but at the international level was declining. “The government must take appropriate measures to support radio’s existence,” he urged. He said that he also used to participate in radio programs and was inspired by its role in shaping the personalities.
Speaking on the topic related to content and its issues, Ajnabi, an unorthodox broadcaster said that the radio in Pakistan was not in a better position. “Everything is commercialized now,” he explained.
“Yeh Radio Pakistan hai [this is radio Pakistan] is the voice we never listen again like this,” said Dr. Fauzia Naz, the chairperson of Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi. “We learn language listening to the radio,” she said.
Senior journalist Dr. Ayoub Shaikh said that radio has played a very important role in connecting people from various areas. He said that the content was the major component thing that attracted the general public towards the radio.
“Radio without better content and language is nothing,” he added. Prominent TV show host and RJ Tehreem Muneeba, radio broadcaster Farheen Malik, Mushtaq Bhatti, Asif Ilyas, and others discussed various issues the radio was facing in Pakistan.
They urged the students to value the existence of radio. They also advised the participants that the content was very important for future broadcasters.