News
Community welcomes start of PTV World in North America
WASHINGTON, Apr 22 (APP): A cross section of Pakistani community in the United States has welcomed decision to start 'PTV World' telecasts to North America.
The sources said, PTV World would beam a daily package of special programmes of news, views and current affairs, and talk shows, besides entertainment.
Already, some three Pakistani Urdu television channels-- PTVPrime, ARY and Geo are reaching homes of subscribers in North America, through the dish networks, a company running parallel with the powerful cable service.
With courtesy of the Pakistan Television, for the past some years, the private Urdu television channels have been airing live telecasts here with Pakistan hook-ups, such as, address-to-the-nation by the President, or the Prime Minister, or budget speeches.
These private Pakistani channels, normally, do not originate any programme from North America, they just re-beam packages from back home, via- Middle East or Europe.
The Pakistani community in the United States and Canada is mainly educated, professional and vibrant, and welfare-oriented tries to keep abreast with the socio-economic developments back home, while it is striving to be effective part of the mainstream systems in their new adopted homelands.
In the US and Canada, the community figures around 1.5 million. In the United States, the Pakistani Americans mainly live in big cities like Alexandria (Virginia), Baltimore (Maryland), New Jersey, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, California, Houston, San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Atlanta, Michigan, and Rochester; while in Canada, they are mainly concentrated in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, and Urbana Champaign city, Ontario and Vancouver.
There are approximately 26 Urdu weekly newspapers brought out from various US cities, while some four are from Canada. The first Urdu/English newspaper 'The Pakistan Link' was published from Los Angeles in February, 1991. The other important weeklies are: Pakistan Post, Urdu Times, News Pakistan, and Sada-e-Pakistan.
These are available at grocery stores, free of cost, and their source of income is through advertisement charges from community professionals, attorneys, real estate individuals and groups, mortgage and insurance companies, hospitals, halal shops, etc.
The households having facility of Urdu television channels and Urdu weeklies, reflect a constant link with Pakistan society, able to watch current drama serials, discussion programmes and entertainment shows.
At times, the television channels in North America have transmitted programmes from various cities of the United States, such as those held to raise funds in the wake of October 8 earthquake tragedy in Northern Pakistan and Kashmir.
Some live telecasts of cultural programmes have also been aired from here for audience in Pakistan and South Asia, like pop singer groups.
Likewise, the Indian and Bangladeshi television channels, like those of China and Afghanistan, and scores of Arabic channels, are also available on cable or Dish Networks to their subscribers. Some 40 Arabic television channels, beamed from various Middle Eastern states, as well as a host of Indian channels are available in the United States.
During the recent Pakistan-India cricket match series, the Star Sports television arranged live telecasts from different cities; and quite many sports enthusiasts watched the series by paying extra subscription costs, during night hours, because of the nine to ten hour time difference in winter and summers.
While the community takes full advantage of facilities here, like those of education and training of their children, the elders, however, often entertain sentiments of having a sort of connection with their heritage and culture- and, strive to imbibe the same to their kids, so as to have a blend of both-- the modern and the traditional cultures.
First generation of 'desis' are often blamed for carrying a baggage, which often is prone to reflect liberal and modern tendencies, with passage of time. The strong social family ties of South Asians and Muslims often have the compelling appeal of transfer to younger generation. Usually, the past heritage- which is traditional and rich- often, is also a source of pride and satisfaction.
Courtesy APP