The Explorer Islamabad: Journal of Social Sciences ISSN (E): 2411-0132, ISSN (P): 2411-5487 Vol-1, Issue (7):241-245 www.theexplorerpak.org A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PTV HOME AND GEO ENTERTAINMENT CHANNELS IN RAWALPINDI AND ISLAMABAD Farhan Riaz1, Shazia Mehmood1, Zaigham Abbas2, Muhammad Alamzaib2, Saad Hameed3 1 Department of Sociology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, 2Department of Sociology, Bahuddin Zakria University Multan, 3National College of Business Administration & Economics Multan Corresponding Author: Farhan Riaz Bhutta PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi [email protected] Abstract: In a progressive society the variation of TV channel is very important for us. We learn most of the things like, culture, tradition, norms, and way of living, lifestyles from these channels. Different channels have different impact on the minds of the people of a society. In the said research comparative analysis of Pakistan Television and Geo Entertainment has been made. From both of these channels which one takes leads to entertain the public in a more defined and demanding way. The significant focus was to judge the level of entertainment provided by both the channels and how much those are successful to raise social issues and viewer’s perception about TV programs of PTV and Geo Entertainment channels. The Nature of the study was qualitative and quantitative. It was conducted at Satellite town block “A” Rawalpindi and sector “F-7/4” Islamabad. An interview schedule was designed and the sample of one hundred and twenty people was collected through systematic random sampling technique. Then data was analyzed through spss (version 14.0). According to findings, most people like the PTV home because it is still trying to show the original picture of Pakistani society whereas the Geo entertainment is liked by people of Islamabad as it gives the information about the new fashion around the Pakistan. The findings of the study may benefit the T.V administrations to reschedule their transmission according to viewer’s aspiration. Key Words: Television, Influence, Culture, Social Issues INTRODUCTION resolved the big question in better understanding Media is most influential tool or rather you can say of the social issues namely, women right and child media today is one of the most important weapons. abuse etc (Naik 2005). Media is the main means of mass communication Our drama is reflecting the supernatural elite class especially television, radio and newspapers which which is making our society mentally ill and are providing entertainment as well as information frustrated. We are relying on sensation news and and latest news update collectively. This media can portraying looters and evils as our leaders. Media is convert black into white, a day into night. It can giving its so called political awareness according to transform a hero into a villan and a villan into a its own sweet will and neglecting the role of hero. The media is doing wonders. Media is taking parliament and politicians. We should control evils part to aware the people about different events of media to prevent our society from becoming evil taking place in the whole universe. Media has society, and we have to take advantage of the graciously opened new horizons giving political positively and fruits of media otherwise we will awareness to masses, played an important role in remain an ignorant and fruitless society in the enlightening the basic human rights to general League of Nations (Zia 2007). public. Media has helped to establish the writ of In today’s world, newspapers are liked by only the government by understanding the laws and chosen few who might appreciate the detail as well constitution and to prevail the better law and as the depth of analysis. Unlike these readers elites, orders in the society. Media has established its the common man needs only brief, simple news major impacts on the different fields of life of a and heavy dose of entertainment in the form of society, like health, education agriculture and films, plays, music and report of sports events. economy. Media has spoken the silent thoughts of Television is the principal source of providing this the people and gave them the pride in being open entertainment. As such, TV has fast become the publicly and presented them with the unique mass medium which is adored by the people in all opportunity of freedom of expression. Media has the countries. It is not so popular only in those 241 undeveloped parts of the world where common exclusion of all others, the bulk of the viewers people cannot buy tv set because of poverty or reject the programms of such nature as being where is no electricity. Even in poor countries, untrue. This aspect has smashed PTV's credibility anyone who has access to tv signal and who can among the viewers. Since the birth of PTV in 1964, buy a set, is viewing almost regularly. Competing PTV adhered to the same lines which were drawn with radio (about 70 years old) and newspaper by the ruling parties. This has created a dilemma (about 380 years old), television is like a giant both for PTV and its viewers. The voices of different adolescent who is hail and hearty, full of life and sections of society for the independence of PTV energy, but rather weak in the field of complex were raised and documented which constitute one mental exercises (Jacobson 1969). of the major themes of this research. On the other In Pakistan, cable television network was initiated hand, it has often been argued that if PTV becomes in Karachi in early 1980s and by 1998 was a private or completely independent organization introduced in almost all the big cities of the country without any substantial degree of control from but functioned without rules and regulations. The government, it may deviate from the basic year 2000 witnessed a mushroom growth of cable objectives chalk out at the time of its television network all over the Pakistan after the establishment. Though this argument occupies a government legalized cable television network and wide place that in the drive towards complete in 2002 almost four million households were autonomy of information on television, the enjoying its services in the country (Zia 2003). principle that, "information is a commodity" plays a A study conducted by Saleem (1994) on ‘Impact of high-flying role. And the new policy-makers may Dish Antenna on Pakistani Society” concluded that tune the organization into a commercial 44 percent of the respondents felt considerable corporation who has primary interest in keeping impact upon their social behavior. Viewers of information secret to protect their commercial programmes through dish antenna felt a change in interests while their secondary interest may be to their outlook towards life and became more broad- produce a commodity for sale in the market. minded. The study further revealed that satellite Information which was once available to the public communication was introducing international as of right will, in future, be available on payment. culture and viewers were admiring the general Taking a look at entertainment fare brings some living standards of social values of western and other aspects of cultural invasion. But the most Indian societies. Majority of the women important question that arises out the context that respondents in this study were of the opinion that whether we would be able to complete dresses hairstyles and jewellery of Indian and international media enriched with alluring contents western models grabbed their attention the most. having such controlled system of communication. Therefore, new trends and fashions were making Isere, one has to have a mounting pile of arguments their way in our society (Saleem 1994). to substantiate this phenomenon of no autonomy The Media today is an army with carefully for television in Pakistan. Autonomy of PTV does organized by weapons, the journalists it’s officers, not mean the freedom of information only but the readers it’s soldiers. But, as in every army, the autonomy embraces the four different but soldiers obey blindly, and the war aims and integrated areas, which are administrative operating plans change without the knowledge. The autonomy operational autonomy financial readers neither know nor are supposed to know the autonomy and ideological autonomy (Pakistan reason for which he is used and the role he is to Television 1976). play. There is no more appalling caricature of MATERIALS AND METHODS freedom thought. For merely no one was allowed The present study was conducted in the “Sector F- to think freely; now it is permitted, but no one is 7/4” Islamabad and “Satellite town block A” capable of it any more. Now people want to believe Rawalpindi. The researcher conducted the only what they are supposed to want to believe, investigation at there without the gender and this they consider freedom (Spengler 1936). discrimination and both quantitative and qualitative Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) is owned and information was collected by using an interview controlled by the government of Pakistan. Keeping schedule comprised of close ended and as well as in view the fact that the majority of the population open ended questions. A sample of one hundred of the country does watch PTV for seeking and twenty households from the locales was information and framing their opinion, the ruling selected by using systematic random sampling party does use PTV according to its wish. By technique. Keeping in view the objective of the projecting the doings of only ruling party and study, an interview schedule was developed to 242 gather relevant information from the respondents. that 35 percent of the respondents were watching The interview schedule was pretested before the TV 2-4 hours in a day.