Radio Pakistan

Radio Pakistan is serving as a public broadcaster for the radio technology in Pakistan. It is Pakistan’s oldest broadcasting-network which was founded on 14^th August 1947 after the independence of Pakistan. Network services include FM 93, FM 101, and AM News-Services. This article has every detail about the network, including Radio Pakistan History.

Radio Pakistan History

At the time of its establishment on 14^th August 1947, Radio-Pakistan was named ‘Pakistan Broadcasting Service.’ It announced the Independence of Pakistan from Britain on 13^th August 1947 at 11:59 pm.

Mustafa Ali declared Lahore’s independence in English and Urdu, while Abdullah Jan announced this news from Peshawar in the Pashto language.

Languages of Radio Broadcasts

Radio Pakistan delivers its broadcasts in Thirty-Four dialects, including Bengali, Arabic, Turkish, Russian, Nepali, Sinhala, Tamil, Gujarati, Hindi, Persian, Dari, Chinese, English, Brahvi, Hazargi, Wakhi, Shina, Balti, Burushaski, Gojri, Kashmiri, Khowar, Kohistani, Hindko, Pashto, Potowari, Seraiki, Baluchi, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Establishment of New Stations

According to Agha Nasir, Radio Pakistan’s pioneer at the time of Pakistan’s independence on 14^th August 1947, there were 3-radio stations in Dhaka, Peshawar, and Radio. No radio station existed in Karachi at Independence time. But it was then prioritized to establish a radio station in Rawalpindi and Karachi in 1948.

A new Broadcasting-House was opened in 1950 in Karachi; following it, new stations were set up in Rawalpindi (1960), Quetta (1956), and Hyderabad (1951). In 1970 a station was set up in Multan, and training amenities were started in 1970.

PCB Regulation by Zulfiqar Ali

Then-President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto signed a law to regulate PBC (Pakistan Broadcasting-Corporation) to ‘regulate, distribute, circulate, and publish information and news in all parts of the world in a way that seems fit.’

Radio Pakistan Mission

Its core-mission is ‘Information, News, and Education to be delivered to awareness of the public the complete range of a significant activity.’

Conversion to PBC

On 20^th December 1972, Radio Pakistan was turned into PBC as a lawful entity governed by Director-General and Directors Board. On 21^st April 1973, Radio Pakistan’s World-Service was initiated, and this service reached Pakistan’s remotest areas having stations at Turbat, Skardu, Gilgit, Far Southwest, and the Far North.

Opening of a New Broadcasting-House

From 1981-1982 transmitters and stations were also set up at Faisalabad, Khuzdar, Dera Ismail Khan. On 7^th May 1986 new broadcasting-house was established in Khairpur, following which relay stations were established at Sibi in 1989 on 21^st March 1991 and in Abbottabad on 21^st March 1991.

Computerization of PBC

Pakistan’s remote areas started receiving coverage after establishing new stations opened at Zhob, Loralai, and Chitral in the 1990s. Federal Information Minister inaugurated PBC’s news processing setup and displayed news bulletins on the internet in audio and text forms.

FM-101

PBC’s channel FM-101 was initiated on 1^st October 1998 with stations at Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi, and now FM-101 has 9-stations in Pakistan and is Pakistan’s largest Radio-network.

FM Transmission

In Oct 1998, Radio-Pakistan began ‘FM Transmission,’ and from 2002 to 2005, new FM-Stations was established at Mithi, Bannu, Kohat, Sargodha, Mianwali, Gwadar, and Islamabad.

Launch of NBS

PBC launched 3-new networks, and on 28^th August 2008, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation launched NBS (National Broadcasting Service), the 1^st dedicated channel on Current Affairs. NBS is the combination of Five AM-Transmitters connected for broadcasting the single local program broadcasted across the country.

Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar, and Islamabad are primary stations creating national-programming, and it’s seventeen hours of programming on significant International and National affairs, cultural and literary programs.

Launch of FM-93

After the Conference of Station Directors in 2009, PBC initiated a new FM channel, FM-93 having Twenty-Two stations all over Pakistan.

The radio stations at Gwadar, Karachi, Mithi, Hyderabad, Bhut Shah, Khairpur, Larkana, Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Sargodha, D.I Khan, Kohat, Bannu, Chitral, Abbottabad, Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit broadcast transmission of FM-93.

Launch of the Planet 94

On 14^th November, PBC started its 1^st Channel for English-Music in Islamabad named ‘Planet-94.’ This network is operated on ‘FM-94.’ The 2^nd & 3^rd stations of English-Channel would soon start transmission from Karachi and Lahore.

The peak of Radio Pakistan

From mid-50s-mid 60s ‘Radio Pakistan’ was at the peak of its popularity and success, not only because of lack of a competitive-medium or education, entertainment, and information source but also because of its smooth and perfect working with its standards matching with International Radio-Services.

Radio Pakistan Channels

Current Affairs and News Channel

PBC launched Current Affairs and News Channel in Nov 2000 and was turned into NBS in 2008. It transmits Thirteen-hours programs from 08:00 am-09:00 pm from Islamabad daily and Eight hours from Provincial-Headquarters. Frequencies:

1. 3999.75 MHz on Satellite Pak Sat1R
2. Peshawar 1170 kHz
3. Quetta 756 kHz
4. Karachi 639 kHz
5. Lahore 1332 kHz
6. Islamabad 1152 kHz

FM-101

It is the commercial radio-station 1^st aired in 1998.

Other Channels

• Dhanak FM-94
• Central Production Unit
• FM-93

Social Media Handles

https://twitter.com/RadioPakistan

https://www.facebook.com/radiopakistannewsofficial