Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ataullah Tarar, has disclosed details of the government’s advertising distribution among media outlets. Speaking during a Senate session, Tarar revealed that newspapers received the lion’s share of Rs 9 billion in advertisements, while television channels were allocated Rs 6 billion.
Responding to a question from Senator Sarmad Ali Khan about advertising criteria, Tarar explained that the government had prioritized newspapers due to their financial struggles. He stated, “The newspapers were facing financial crisis due to which the current government paid special attention to it.”
The minister outlined that the current advertising distribution follows the 1997 Services Manual, with a policy introduced in 2021 and amended in 2022. For electronic media, Tarar noted, “There is no criteria to gauge electronic media’s eligibility for getting advertisements. However, our rates’ committee based on rating of news channels allows a limit or number of advertisements to be given to a particular channel.”
Tarar assured the Senate that the present government has not halted advertisements for any news channel. He explained that the primary criterion for advertisement placement is to reach the widest possible audience effectively, with channel ratings playing a crucial role in this decision-making process.
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For print media, the minister highlighted the role of the Audit Bureau of Circulation in determining newspaper circulation, which influences advertisement allocation.
Addressing recent financial concerns, Tarar mentioned that the government had waived a 10 percent duty on imported newspaper paper that was initially proposed in the 2024 Budget. He stated, “No new tax was imposed on newspapers due to the prevailing crisis.”
The minister called for improvements to the current advertising policy, suggesting collaboration with the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the senator who raised the question. challenging economic times.