Impact of Radio on Pakistani Society

Abstract

This study investigates the role of “Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), commonly known as Radio Pakistan,” in influencing socioeconomic development in Central Punjab (2008-2013). It reviews literature on socioeconomic development through radio in many countries by Stephen Barnard (2000), William Faulder (1984), Shazia Maari (2009) and Mary Myers (2011) and others and the archives of Finance Division of Government of Pakistan (GOP) on socioeconomic development in the country (2008-2019). The first of its kind, the study assumes that Radio Pakistan has substantially contributed in socioeconomic development in Central Punjab, catering to social culture of Pakistani public. The study uses these needs as the indicators of social cultural development (keeping in mind the radio transmission is dependent on independent government/radio policies, topics, budget, expert advice, caller queries for various targeted radio programs) for measuring the role of Radio Pakistan in socioeconomic development in Central Punjab. Listener is dependent on radio while radio independently produces programs to cater to audience’s needs.  The study uses the agenda building/setting, two-step flow model of communication, and development support communication theories for discussion, considering the radio follows the agenda of Government of Pakistan for socioeconomic development in Central Punjab through two-way communication between programmers and listeners, believing interpersonal communication best shapes the public opinion (Postelnicu, 2016). Radio Pakistan relies on, what WHO calls, the drill of development support communication, a multisectoral process for sharing information about agendas and deliberate actions for development. This medium links beneficiary to the community of planners, implementers and donors of the said action (“Development,” 2001). They share information and answer the queries of listeners in radio programs.  The articles comprise of two qualitative and quantitative studies based on data collected from 35/35 radio programmers/producers employed at the three stations in Lahore, Faisalabad and Sargodha, and 1000/1M random listeners/callers from Lahore, Faisalabad and Sargodha zones, covering 300 km², 120 km², and 50 km² geographical areas respectively (Punjab: 205,344 km²; Pakistan: 796,095 km²). The author developed two questionnaires: one for in person, in-depth interviews of 35 radio