Aamer Liaquat Husain's TV Show Combines Showbiz, Religion and Commerce in Ramadan

[Riaz Haq]

"At Christmas there's Santa Claus to give everyone gifts, it's important for Christians. For us Ramadan is a really special time so it's really important to make people happy and reward them." Aamer Liaquat Husain, Popular Televangelist and Show Host of Pakistan's GeoTV 

Aamer Liaquat Husain's Amaan Ramzan is the highest rated TV show in Pakistan. It attracts sponsor-ships and advertisements from successful companies in Pakistan which are willing to pay top dollars for a slice of its viewers' attention and business. These advertisers see the festive Ramadan and Eid season as crucial to boost their annual profits and sales.

Downplaying the commercial success of his show, Aamer Liaquat insists that "it is not commercialization, it is not showbiz. It is real Islam. I am the religious icon of television" according to an AFP report. 


Aamer Liaquat's show is no ordinary TV production. The show is set in a massive wedding hall at a Karachi hotel. It is bedecked with advertisements for a variety of products competing for space with pictures of camels and palm trees. Its a variety show featuring Islamic quizzes, Quran recitations, cooking, religious songs, and lots of prizes and Iftar dinner for over 500 guests, including hundreds of women and children. 

GeoTV  Host Aamer Liaquat (L) and  ARY TV Host Junaid Jamshed (R)

Prizes given away at  Geo's Amaan Ramzan show include consumer electronics, motorbikes, microwave ovens, washing machines and refrigerators. But eyebrows were raised around the world last month when Aamer Liaquat gave away an abandoned baby to a grateful childless couple on live TV. It was arranged by an NGO which insists that it followed the law. Critics called it a "publicity stunt" to boost show ratings. 


ARY TV, a competitor of Geo TV, has responded to Ramzan Aman show by its own show which features  Junaid Jamshed, a celebrity rock star who  gave up his singing career and grew a long beard as a sign of religious piety. 

Source: Aurora Magazine

Pakistan's rising middle class has helped spawn a mass media revolution in the country. It is driving consumer spending and advertising. Television ads capture 56% of total advertising revenue in Pakistan. TV ad revenue for 2011-12 added up to Rs. 21.6 billion (US $210 million), up 16% from the prior year, according to Dawn's advertising Aurora magazine. Since 1990, Pakistan's middle class has expanded by 36.5% and India's by only 12.8%, according to an ADB report titled "Asia's Emerging Middle Class: Past, Present And Future". Consumer spending in Pakistan has increased at a 26 percent average pace the past three years, compared with 7.7 percent for Asia, according to Bloomberg.  


Many in Pakistan cringe at the thought of crass commercialization of occasions like Eid and Ramadan both of which have special religious significance for Muslims. To me it is just an indication that the corporate-owned media business in Pakistan is evolving along the same commercial lines as its western counterparts have decades ago. It is, of course, a matter of grave concern to me and others who see the combined power of money and media as an unwelcome influence in shaping public opinion and government policies. 


Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Rights in Ramadan

Is Ramadan a Break from Work?

Media Revolution in Pakistan

Culture of Corruption in Pakistan

Gangster Politicians of Pakistan

Gangs of Karachi

Does Sharif Have an Anti-Terror Policy?

Why is Democracy Failing in Pakistan?


Viewpoint From Overseas-Vimeo 


Viewpoint From Overseas-Youtube

[Riaz Haq]

Pakistan to launch Science TV channel, reports Daily Times:

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Science Club (PSC) has launched beta version of Pakistan’s first science, technology, innovation and educational television, Techtv.pk, which will be fully functional by August 14.
Pakistan PSC President Abdul Rauf told APP that with the launch of this channel, people would be able to access significant amounts of information with reference to any topic in a short time through different programmes.
He said today television has become an important part of people’s life as a source of information, entertainment, a great tool for learning and education, and communications.
Many different programme genres have been used to address diverse audiences for a variety of formal and non-formal learning purposes with scientifically measured results, he said.
Abdul Rauf said the channel would air educational programmes in all subjects, including physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and zoology, offering an excellent opportunity for young people to learn.
“In remote villages, it will help spread education to willing students through distance learning. Educational television will educate masses on hygiene, literacy, childcare and farming methods or on any topic related to day to day happenings,” he said.
PSC President said Techtv.pk would cover all events from Pakistan related to science and technology and educational activities.
It will also offer free online courses of web application development, DIY (do it yourself) projects, project management and other science and technology topics.
He said Techtv.pk also has an entertainment category with science fiction movies, cartoons and science entertainment programmes.
The channel will cover science and technology educational activities in addition to popularising the subjects through disseminating the relevant information and latest progress to students and common people.
Rauf said this television channel can prove to be very useful, easy to access at anytime from anywhere and users can access a significant amount of information with reference to any topic in a short time regardless of geographic barriers, allowing them to consult different points of view as well as hands-on experience through different DIY (do it yourself) projects.
The channel will use interactive and innovative programmes for this purpose that cover topics of science, chemistry, physics, education, technology, DIY projects, e-learning, documentaries, news, interviews, events, experiments and entertainment.
“The main objective of this web TV is to promote scientific culture and the youth’s interest in science, technology and innovations. The channel would also popularise science for laymen and students, seeking to cultivate the spirit of scientific inquiry and the love of learning in its audience,” said Abdul Rauf.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C08%5C07%5Cstor...

[Riaz Haq]

Multiple fatwas have come out against Aamer Liaquat Husain's Amaan Ramzan show declaring it "haram" for various reasons ranging from it being "makhloot" (Co-ed) to doing "taqaddus pamal" (sacrilegious).

http://ummatpublication.com/2013/08/06/news.php?p=news-06.gif

[Riaz Haq]

‘#Pakistan’s #advertisement market is worth Rs65b’ with annual growth of 10-12pc’ http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/?p=516910 via @ePakistanToday #Media #TV

Pakistan’s total advertisement budget has exceeded Rs65 billion in the last few years with a growth of 10 to 12 percent annually. As much as Rs45 billion goes to TV, while Rs17 billion are spent on print media, said Fouad Hussain, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GroupM, the biggest ad buying house of the country.

“The total billings of the television and print media ads through GroupM are around Rs19 billion, which is over a quarter of the total advertisement budget of the country,” Hussain told Pakistan Today in an exclusive interview.

Hussain has a 17-year experience in the media industry and has been working with brands and media vendors in various roles of brand marketing, research, channel sales, content, strategic communication, media planning and ad buying.


He said most of the TV channels in Pakistan are relying on mobile companies and new brands of mobiles, which are spending billions of rupees on Television ads. Brands like Unilever, Engro Foods and local and foreign banks are slowly shifting to TV from print media, he said.

Hussain, however, said the cash flow management in TV channels and print media is a problem.

“I will not name any channel or media house, but many of the owners have other businesses and use media industry funds on their other businesses which causes delay or late payments of salaries to their employees,” Hussain told Pakistan Today.

He said that there could be some other problems like late clearance of the bills, but the other businesses of the owners of media houses are the main reason for cash flow problems.

The GroupM CEO said the size of the print media ad budget has also been increasing during the last five to 10 years. He said the brands have been increasing their print media budget overtime. He said the newspapers have also increased the cost of advertisement per centimeter.

“If a newspaper was charging Rs10,000 for an ad five years ago, it is now charging Rs100,000,” Hussain said, and added, “It is true that the TV industry has more of a bright future in the country compared to print media.” He said that the print media has been losing its share of the market because “unlike the TV industry, there is no new research work being done in the print media”.

Now, everyone knows which TV channel is more popular and in which city; and the advertisers also know where they need to focus. But it is hard to find out the same information for newspapers. No one knows which newspapers are being read and in which city or area.

“I will not say that the readerships of the newspapers are coming down, but it is hard to find out the exact figure.” He said the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) should conduct a survey of the newspapers’ readerships locally and area wise once every two or three years.

“We are a kind of advisors between advertisers and the media. We have to suggest to them where their market is,” Hussain said.

Replying to another question, he said the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)’s figures are only for the government advertisements. It is a demand of the federal and provincial governments as they are supporting the TV channels and the print media through advertisements. The government spends Rs6-7 billion on advertisements in the media,” he said.


The ABC certification does not mean readership and it does not tell which area the newspaper is being read in, he said, and added that it is very difficult to find that out.

He said that the APNS should conduct a survey through a reputable institution like the TV industry.

“The owners of the print media have stopped investing in their writers and on journalism,” he said, adding “If they stop grooming writers, the standards of newspapers will decline. Earlier, this industry was considered important because the owners were spending on it.”