The Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) decided to increase the license fee from Rs. 35 to Rs. 100 in order to overcome its annual financial losses of Rs. 17 billion. In the electricity bills of consumers the additional amount will be added.
Power consumers who in the previous 18 months have already faced an increase in their tariff of 40% will now have to pay the operational cost of state-run cash-starved TV.
The board of directors has approved a financial plan finalizing the increase in the license fee. The proposal now awaits Prime Minister Imran Khan’s approval.
The additional Rs. 65 will be charged by electricity consumers each month if accepted. This is following a number of increases to the tariff that nearly doubled the cost of electricity.
Interestingly, three marketing executives in the private sector were recently employed by the company to rebuild the state-owned television station. Such industry experts cost the national exchequer approximately Rs. 3 million per month.
While the organization has a team of business and marketing specialists, they have not created a single business strategy to improve the channel.
During the meeting of the Board of Directors last year in October, it was revealed that the TV station didn’t attract viewers.
Yet, rather than aiming to draw the viewers to the national television, PTV’s business development and marketing managers have formulated a financial plan that raises the pressure on the public.
Syed Ali Bukhari, a member of the PTV Board, commented on the development that it was the responsibility of people to contribute to the recovery of State television.
He argued that PTV’s licensing fees system was smaller than anywhere else in the world. The fee was raised.
