For 79% Pakistanis TV news channels main source of info: survey

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 24 December 2014

A recent Gallup Pakistan survey reveals that 79% of the population relies on private news TV channels for information. In contrast, only 12% depend on newspapers.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: For an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis private news TV channels are their main source of information to national and international news, according to a Gallup Pakistan survey. “79% Pakistanis consider television the most important source of information,” according to the survey carried out among a sample of 2,562 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, between November 17-24, 2014. Pakistan opened its airwaves in 2002 under the military regime of Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf. Today the country has more than 90 privately-owned television channels, of them, 35 are news channels. On the other hand only for 12% Pakistanis newspapers are the most important source of information, followed by 5% radio and 3% journals. According to the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan today has 246 big and small Urdu dailies, 53 English dailies, 63 monthly magazines (English, Urdu, Sindhi and Balochi), 17 weeklies, and three fortnightlies. Similarly, PEMRA says Pakistan has 138 commercial and 40 non-commercial FM radio stations. Most of the non-commercial radio stations have been set up in the public and private public universities.