Though many countries of the world today are running their own radio stations but not one of them can hold candle to BBC Radio which can be billed as their precursor without any fear of contradiction. What is surprising is the fact that BBC Radio hasn’t lost its listeners even after the advent of BBC Television. BBC Radio’s daily programme named as ‘Today” has more listeners in UK than any TV channel.
In Pakistan’s rural areas where TV programs cannot reach due to technical reasons the oldies still listen to BBC Radio on the veracity of which they have tremendous faith. After the creation of Pakistan ZA Bokhari and Patras Bokhari known as Bokhari brothers who were excellent broadcasters and who headed Radio Pakistan did model Radio Pakistan on the pattern of BBC Radio but alas their successors could not keep their tradition alive. Very useful radio programs like External Service, Persian language programs as well as Pushto and Seraiki language programmes were closed down. The start of FM Radio didn’t yield any useful result.
With the advent of PTV the powers that be started meting out step motherly treatment to Radio Pakistan. Had strong transmitters been installed, listening range of Radio Pakistan could have been increased. It could have been used to nail anti Pakistan propaganda against Pakistan by India and Afghanistan and programs in the languages spoken in Central Asian countries could have been beamed also to forge closer ties with the people of them.
