Strong Growth Forecast For Pakistan's Media and Telecom Sectors

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan's media and telecom revolution that began during the Musharaf years is continuing unabated.

According to Daily Times, Chairman Mushtaq Malik of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has said that the cable television sector “is the fast growing segment among the electronic media ventures”. In the first 100 days of the current government, he has claimed that new licenses for 16 satellite TV channels, 10 FM radio stations, and 232 cable TV channels have been granted. It is anticipated that this would lead to additional investment worth Rs. 2.5 billion, generating 4000 additional jobs in this sector. The cable television sector alone is employing some 30,000 people in the country.

APP reported that overall size of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Pakistan has crossed more than $ 12 billion, of which $ 1 billion is foreign direct investment (FDI). This was asserted by the Adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister on Information Technology Sardar Latif Khan Khosa while speaking at the inauguration of 5th Information & Communications Technology Exhibition and Conference - CONNECT 2010 at Karachi Expo Center.

He said Pakistan has one of the fastest growing the tele-density in the world, currently at 63.5 percent, while neighboring India is just 37 percent.

Khosa said there are more than 95 million mobile connections in the country and are still growing in numbers. This is exponential growth as mobile telephone market has seen a 14-fold increase since the year 2000, he added.

A pilot program in Pakistan has demonstrated the effectiveness of pushing mass literacy through the use of cell phone text messaging capability. The five-month experiment, initiated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), targeted 250 females aged 15 to 24 years old in three districts of Pakistan's Punjab province. In this pilot project which successfully concluded last month, the participant who have just completed the basic literacy course, were given a mobile phone each. They received three text messages a day in the local language. They were required to practice reading and writing the messages in their work book and reply to their teachers by text.

Here's a recent IEMR research report forecasting 135 million mobile phone subscribers in Pakistan by 2014:

"The wireless penetration rate is still low in Pakistan at approximately 60% in 2009, and we expect that the country's wireless market will continue to show strong growth. Our model forecasts that total mobile subscribers in Pakistan will increase from 96 million in 2009 to 134.8 million in 2014," said Nizar Assanie, Vice President (Research) at IEMR. "Mobilink will continue to be the largest player in Pakistan's mobile operator space over the next five years. We expect that Mobilink will have 36 million mobile subscribers in 2014. Also, given the latest quarter numbers, our model predicts that Ufone will have 25.8 million, Telenor will have 29 million, and Warid will have 25.3 million mobile subscribers by the end of 2014." "ARPU levels remain low in Pakistan's mobile operator space. We expect that the industry average ARPU will remain in the range of US$ 2 - US$ 3 over the next five years. Our model predicts that, in 2014, Mobilink's monthly ARPU will be at highest among operators at US$ 2.64. The operator with the lowest monthly ARPU will be Warid Telecom with US$ 1.67 in 2014," said Mr. Assanie.

IEMR's Pakistan Mobile Operator Forecast covers up to 50 financial and operational metrics on wireless operators in Pakistan - Mobilink (Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited), Ufone GSM, China Mobile Ltd. (Zong, formerly Paktel), Instaphone, Telenor ASA, and Warid Telecom International. Notable highlights of the 1Q10 Pakistan Mobile Operator Forecast include: * In terms of shares of total subscribers, we expect that Mobilink's market share will decline over the next five years, from 30% in 2009 to 26.7% in 2014. On the other hand, we expect China Mobile Pakistan's market share to increase from 8% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2014. We also forecast that market shares at Ufone, Telenor, and Warid will be approximately 19.2%, 21.6% and 18.8% respectively in 2014.

* Given the excellent performance by Norway's Telenor in Pakistan's wireless market in the recent past, our model forecasts that its EBITDA margin (calculated as EBITDA / reported revenue) will be increasing from about 23% in 2009 to 35% in 2014. On the other hand, we think that Mobilink will maintain its EBITDA margin of approximately 35% over the forecast period, 2010 - 2014.

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[Riaz Haq]

First ever #Pakistan #DTH Bidding kicks off in #Islamabad, crosses Rs 1bn mark. #DISH #Cable #TV #internet #digital https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/167110-First-ever-Pakistani-DTH-B... …

After the Supreme Court of Pakistan decided in favour of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), the first ever bidding of the Pakistani DTH was held in the federal capital on Wednesday. 

Absar Alam had held a press conference the previous day and termed DTH as a game-changer for Pakistan. The PEMRA chief had stated that this digital technology was the need of the hour since other countries in the region were making use of it except for Pakistan.
Absar had promised that PEMRA would take care of cable operators. He cited the example of Europe and the United States, where DTH was functional and so was cable TV.

"In developed countries like the United States and Germany, where the DTH systems had been launched over 20 years ago, penetration of the DTH service is 30 per cent while 70 percent viewers still depend on the cable system, which shows that both systems can coexist," he had said on Tuesday. 

He also spoke out against those who were illegally transmitting Indian DTH service, stating that the mafia responsible for it should also go to the courts against illegal Indian DTH service transmission.

[Riaz Haq]

#Pakistan electronic media regulator auctions 70 licenses for #satellite TV: 8 new channels in #news category, 27 in #entertainment, 12 channels of #regional languages, 12 in #education, 5 in #sports, four in #health and 2 in the #agriculture category. https://www.dawn.com/news/1479795

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Wednesday initiated an auction at its headquarters in Islamabad for the issuance of 70 more licences for satellite TV broadcast stations.

The auction will continue until tomorrow during which licences will be auctioned in seven categories — news, current affairs, education, sports, health, entertainment and agriculture.

Representatives from 187 companies have been participating in the auction.

According to the details, licences for eight new channels will be offered in news category, 27 in entertainment, 12 channels of regional languages, 12 in education, five in sports, four in health and two in the agriculture category.

As many as 21 companies participated in the open-bid round for auction of eight licences for news and current affairs. Out of the 35 companies pre-qualified for the auction, 14 didn't take part. Al Kamal Media Private Company placed the highest bid in the sector at Rs283.5 million.

Pemra Chairman Saleem Baig inaugurated the auction. In his speech, he said that 70 licences will be issued today. He hoped that each TV channel would provide livelihood to a large number of people.

He said that the authority works in consultation with all stakeholders. Currently 88 local TV channels and 227 radio channels are being operated in the country. He said that eight Internet Protocol TV licences have been issued, besides one DTH which is expected to be operational soon.

The Pemra chairman expressed his hope that today's auction would be held in a transparent manner.

Out of the total 70, 47 licences in three categories — news and current affairs, entertainment and regional satellite TVs — will be auctioned today.

The base price for news and current affairs TV licence has been fixed at Rs63.5m, entertainment TV licence at Rs48.5m, and regional at Rs10m. The successful bidder will have to submit 15 per cent of the bidding price today.

Pakistan Broadcasters Association's objection
A day earlier, the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) had criticised Pemra's decision to conduct an auction without taking up a petition filed by PBA against the proposal.

The association has now appealed to the prime minister to intervene and stop the process. According to a press release, the PBA had filed the petition in compliance with an order of the Sindh High Court.

“The present cable network in Pakistan is based on the analogue system, which has a capacity to carry a maximum of 80 channels at a given time. But since Pemra has already issued 121 licences for satellite TV broadcast stations, at least 40 channels cannot be aired," it read.

“Therefore, issuance of more licences will put a large number of channels off the air, resulting in irrecoverable losses to the media industry at a time when it is already suffering due to the economic slowdown,” the press release said.

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan’s PEMRA media regulator has auctioned 70 new licenses for satellite DTH channels.

https://advanced-television.com/2019/05/07/pakistan-auctions-70-dth...

PEMRA says it had offered capacity for 70 satellite TV licenses in seven categories – eight in News & Current Affairs, 27 in Entertainment, five in Sports, two in Agriculture, 12 in Regional Languages, four in Health and 12 in Education genres.

Some 187 companies entered the bidding. Some 35 were shortlisted, and 21 actually participated in the process.

The auction was carried out on May 2nd – 3rd, and successful bidders must deposit their sums within 15 days.

The News & Current Affairs category channel brought the highest bid of Rs283.5 million ($2m), whereas the Entertainment category went for (Pakistani Rupees)50.5 million ($360,000). The highest bid for regional languages channels offered was Rs102 million ($72,000), Agriculture for Rs52 million, Sports for Rs42.5 million, Education for Rs46 million and Health for Rs42 million bid.

Currently there were 88 satellite TV channels officially operational in Pakistan while 33 were given landing rights, and there are 227 FM radio stations also active in the country.

However, the auction process has not been with controversy. The Pakistan Broadcasters Association has complained and is threatening to appeal to the prime minster to stop the process. Their letter of complaint states: “The present cable network in Pakistan is based on the analogue system, which has a capacity to carry a maximum of 80 channels at a given time. But since PEMRA has already issued 121 licences for satellite TV broadcast stations, at least 40 channels cannot be aired,” it read.

“Therefore, issuance of more licences will put a large number of channels off the air, resulting in irrecoverable losses to the media industry at a time when it is already suffering due to the economic slowdown,” the press release stated.

[Riaz Haq]

General Musharraf granted nearly $9 million to finish the (National Art Gallery) building (in Islamabad). He opened the gallery last month and toured the exhibitions, which include a large number of irreverent and anti-military pieces, but did not visit a room of nudes by some of Pakistan’s best painters.

https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/world/asia/26islamabad.html

It may be the towering black burqa-clad figures that stand at the entrance, or the brickwork, portholes and curved aluminum skylights of the building itself. Either way, the National Art Gallery, which opened last month, has brought new texture to this otherwise sterile, highly planned capital.

The biggest surprise for most Pakistanis is that the National Art Gallery ever opened at all. It took a marathon 28 years to develop and build, and was a victim of financing shortfalls, bureaucratic inertia and repeated shifts in power under alternate military and civilian governments, which often undid what their predecessors had started.

For the gallery’s architect, Naeem Pasha, 64, it has been a long labor of love for the sake of art and what the building represents for the country.

“An art gallery sends a very strong message to the world that we are creative and peaceful, and I want this to be stronger than the act of a suicide bomber,” Mr. Pasha said as he toured the gallery on a recent morning. “His act is one and we are many, and the so many have to be heard, and that is the message that this gallery must make.”

[Riaz Haq]

Kathy Gannon
@Kathygannon
Couldn’t be more proud. Pasha receives Tamgha-I-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest civilian honours for his outstanding contribution to architecture & art. His design of The National Art Gallery alone has been internationally recognised but his contributions are so many

https://twitter.com/Kathygannon/status/1302989587380346881?s=20

[Riaz Haq]

Five years of Napa
The so-called city of lights did have plays on and off before, but the establishment of Napa made the theatre movement what it is today – a series of full acts with no intervals.It has staged more than a dozen first-rate productions within two years. But the ratio of graduating students has decreased from batch to batch.

https://tribune.com.pk/article/566/five-years-of-napa

The National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) was inaugurated in February, five years ago by then President General Pervez Musharraf (who asked Zia Mohhiuddin to establish and head it). Run by acting veteran Zia Mohyuddin, the academy churned out its first batch of more than 40 students in theatre arts and around 20 students from its music department in 2005. However, almost 50 per cent of the students enrolled in both departments fail to cope with the four to five hours long class schedule and drop out. The consequence is that only around 20 to 25 of Napa’s first batch graduated with a diploma or a certificate in hand. The ratio of graduating students decreased with the next batch, and the problem continues to haunt the academy’s administration.

Since its inception, the academy has been through various highs and lows. It faced a lack of funds for almost a year (from July 2008 to June 2009) when the current PPP-led federal government cut their grant short — from Rs50 million to a mere Rs17 million. The grant was restored in the next fiscal by order of Prime Minister Gilani.

The academy is also in court with a stay order in hand, to fight a case to retain its premises, the Hindu Gymkhana. The case began when Napa was served a notice to vacate the premises by the Sindh government last year. It said the Napa administration made changes to the architecture of the historical place by erecting pillars of its in-house theatre which is under construction off the main building. It is interesting to note that the provincial government also receives its monthly rent from the academy.

The fresh roots of theatre culture in Karachi owe a great deal to prominent Karachiites such as Sheema Kirmani, Khalid Ahmed, Sania Saeed and Nida Butt. With their respective theatre groups these individuals have led the theatre scene into a direction where bomb blasts and ethnic clashes were responded to by realistic plays on the stage. But the establishment of the Napa Repertory Theatre Company (NRTC) appears to have over shadowed all things non-Napa. It has staged more than a dozen first-rate productions within two years.

Established, organised and run under the supervision of Rahat Kazmi, the NRTC kicked off in April 2008 with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Adapted by maestro Aga Hashr as Sufaid Khoon the play was the company's first and most expensive production. NRTC recruited 13 students from its first batch of graduates on a decent monthly salary, following the tradition of national theatre academies across the world. But it sacked them all in February 2009. Now the NRTC hires their services, if deemed necessary, for each upcoming production. A few graduates feel this practice is inappropriate and unjust

When Napa started off faculty were not experienced in formal teaching. They included well-known theatre and TV artists but only a few of them had training. Arshad Mehmud, Director Programs at Napa says “Initially, we didn’t have proper texts and curriculum for either the music or theatre arts faculties. After a lot of hard work and experiments, we now have a complete curriculum in place. This is our biggest achievement so far.”

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan National Monument Islamabad


When the then Interior Minister brought Mr Lashari he announced that he is “a gift for Islamabad”. A gift, truly, he was. Mr Lashari was a man of mega projects and that was the age of extravaganza. President Musharraf, for all the debate about the legality of his rule, knew well the art of creation of money and had a taste for aesthetics in monumentalisation of the city.

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Mr Lashari was made CDA chairman in the early days of the government of President Pervez Musharraf and he stayed at office for five years until in 2008 he was made the chief commissioner of Islamabad.