Media Chaos

By Mahin Amjad

Over the past few years Pakistani media has experienced an immense growth, large numbers of television channels have opened up catering to different audiences, there was time not very long ago when Pakistan only has two channels which had better content to offer as compared to today’s 80 channels. Although the quantity has greatly increased, the quality how ever has gone below the lowest level. There is a huge lack of creativity I feel. Most of the channels are so busy in competing which each other that they fail to produce product worth watching. The morning shows of course are a perfect example of that. If one channel bases its morning show on a theme, boom! the next day you will find exactly the same theme on a competing channel with a different host presenting it with such confidence that you would find yourself thinking who is copying who?!?. Similarly there are shows being aired these days that are Xerox copy of other programs. “Lipton light on hai” is a horrible I repeat horrible rip off of “whose line is it anyway” which is a hilarious and most enjoyable show ever, the same I’m afraid cannot be said about Lipton light on hai. Another very horrendous copy is “ramp ki rani kon” need I say who they copied?? From the format, to the concept of photo-shoots, to the sets, everything is so unoriginal that u feel like smashing the TV into million pieces literally. As if all these copies weren’t enough some of the channels broadcast Indian show. I feel like the media is forcing Indian influence on us, and it is extremely suffocating. On almost all the entertainment programs u will come across, Indians songs are sung, if you had the coincidence of watching The Sahir show you would know what I am talking about the show starts with Indian songs, which are played at intervals throughout the show. Why Indian songs is what I want to know. Why is that we sing Indian songs, dance to them, watch the movies but when it comes to Pakistan India cricket match, everyone wants to see India beaten why? Why a sense of patriotism then? Why not when comes to movies, songs and culture? It’s not that I am against Indian entertainment industry; my disappointment is with the Pakistani media that has taken the responsibility of promoting Indian culture.

Amongst all this mess, there are various drama serials being shown which are a delight to watch, some of them depict the true values of a Pakistani society, highlights the issues and problems prevailing here, it is such kind of television that the audiences want to watch, the one to which they can relate, nobody wants to see dolled up women cladded in saris and heavy jewelry conspiring against their in laws!