The government has decided to eliminate almost one in four sanctioned posts at Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) as part of efforts to reduce the national entity’s losses and has also approved a new business plan for the state-owned entity.

On Friday, the Information Ministry informed the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) of the decision to cut 1,232 posts from the 5,442 sanctioned posts, representing a 23% reduction in staff at the severely overstaffed organisation.

“The committee was told that out of 5,442 sanctioned posts in PTV, 1,232 posts had also been abolished to save costs,” according to a press release issued by the finance ministry.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the meeting where the Cabinet Committee approved the business plans for both PTV and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

Details revealed that PTV News, the company’s news arm, earned less than its budgeted profit while incurring higher than budgeted expenses during FY2023-24. Against the budgeted revenue of Rs 357 million. provisional income amounted to Rs200 million. Meanwhile, expenditure rose to Rs688 million compared to the budgeted Rs585 million.

The committee was informed that PTV currently employs 95 anchor persons.

The Ministry of Finance noted that the Ministry of Information presented a revival business plan for PTV that includes measures such as digital expansion, content licensing, profitable marketing partnerships, public-private collaborations and better utilization of PTV properties to maximize operational efficiency and revenue potential.

The committee discussed the PTV and PBC plans and emphasized operational excellence and timely execution of planned actions to achieve the desired results.

In addition, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Information work through the boards of PBC and PTV to proactively make use of underutilized assets and prefer the sale of these assets to the private sector rather than engaging in real estate activities that could detract from their primary function as state broadcasters . .

The business plans also included proposals to increase revenue, secure sponsorships and reduce operating costs.

However, the Cabinet Committee was briefed on challenges identified through a PESTLE analysis – a tool used to understand the external factors affecting business plans. As a state-owned broadcaster, PTV operates under public supervision, which often changes its content and organizational priorities. Moreover, unlike private channels, PTV’s public service mandate limits advertising revenue, which affects profitability.

Despite these challenges, Pakistan boasts over 90 million TV viewers, with TV advertising spending of Rs 50 billion in FY2023-24, up from Rs 43.4 billion the previous year. Conversely, spending on digital media advertising fell to Rs25.25 billion in FY2023-24 from Rs26.5 billion in the previous year, according to the Ministry of Information.

For PBC, the business plan focuses on income generation through improved program content, better signal quality and utilization of seven large unutilized sites and six large areas of open land in various cities. Proposed measures include installation of ATMs and advertisement signs at suitable locations in Radio Pakistan.

The committee was told that the PBC could achieve a financial break-even within two years of the implementation of the proposed plan, according to the Ministry of Finance.

In addition to the broadcaster’s business plans, the committee approved the reconstitution of the Board of Directors of the Karachi Tools, Dies and Mold Center (KTDMC) under the Ministry of Industries and Production. The CCoSOEs approved the appointment of five candidates from the private sector and ex-officio directors were appointed for a three-year term with Abdur Razaaq Gauhar as the board chairman. This reconstitution aims to improve corporate governance and ensure effective decision-making for the entity.

Similarly, the reconstitution of the board of the Technology Up-gradation and Skills Development Company (TUSDEC) was also approved. Six candidates from the private sector and ex-officio directors were appointed for a three-year term with Muhammad Noorud Din Daud as chairman. These changes are in line with SOE’s Ownership and Management Policy, 2023, which aims to increase operational efficiency and align the company’s objectives with national priority.