Geo Television and PTV's Dismal Coverage of PTI's Azaadi March

As the days move on, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Azaadi march gathers more momentum. PTI Chairman Imran Khan is adamant about his claims that the elections were rigged and Nawaz Sharif and PML-N must answer for this. Included in the list of demands was Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's immediate resignation from his post.

However, whether PTI's claims are justified or not or whether PML-N is causing Pakistan's economy and solidarity major damage by not proposing a viable solution to this remains to be see. But what we have seen, is that all the Pakistani media channels are scrambling to get the best coverage of Azaadi March as it is the trending, newsworthy event of present. Every channel you turn to has been raving about the protest and Imran Khan's inspirational and determined role in it.

Well, every channel except Geo Tv and PTV. It is strange to see Geo who claim to be on top of every news story in Pakistan staying on the sidelines and not once accurately portraying the Azaadi march. PTV is understandably staying neutral in all this, but a bit more coverage would definitely be appreciated. Back to Geo, the only time they have mentioned the Azaadi March is when they have to say something negative about it.

Maybe Geo Tv has something personal against Imran Khan and PTI but media ethics dictate that a channel should report the news accurately and fairly to the best of its ability and not use the news for personal agendas. As an avid media follower, I have to say I am extremely disappointed in Geo Tv.

Inaam Ghar: Hit or Flop?

‘Musalmanon, tukka lagao’ are the words we are used to hearing from the controversially popular Amir Liaquat on GEO’s Ramadan transmissions. Now, he has entered another arena with the recently launched “Inaam Ghar”. This is GEO’s imitation of the highly successful show by Tariq Aziz on PTV, “Nilam Ghar”.

Even though the idea is decent and the setup is modern with current themes and effects, there is something lacking about Inaam Ghar. Maybe the concept is outdated; maybe people want something more these days or there is something bigger at play here.

Firstly, let’s understand the concept of the show, which is really simple; the audience have to answer questions and if the answer is correct, a prize is given out. Another way to win is through a lucky draw which takes place at the end of the show. The prizes are very generous thanks to the sponsors.

However, as mentioned earlier, Inaam Ghar does not have the same appeal as its predecessor. Consequently, there have been a few major flaws that have been identified. Firstly, the content is too cheesy, be it the questions or the entertainment. Secondly, the Pakistani audience is portrayed as greedy wolves looking to pounce upon a meal. This really cheapens the aura of the show. 

Last but not least, one of the major issues here is the host: Amir Liaquat Hussain. He has made this show into his personal spotlight and he never wants to relinquish it. Amir Liaquat started off as a host for religious programs and his work was highly regarded at first. Then with a combination of blunders from GEO and himself, his reputation went down the drain. In recent times, he has become something of a joke. How and why people keep watching is something beyond me. 

Similarly, his attitude with the show audience is really dismal. Insulting the audience has become a norm, so has making fun of slightly different accents or speech impairments. He also comes off as a know-it-all and extremely self-centered. His over-friendliness with the ladies is also not a redeeming quality.

Another highly controversial issue is the fact that a couple of years ago Amir Liaquat blasted GEO over a suspicious video about himself, claiming he was framed by the news network. Surprisingly, he has now rejoined GEO without any explanation whatsoever.

In a nutshell, GEO TV and Amir Liaquat have ruined a classic Tv Show which the masses really enjoyed when it operated in all its glory under Tariq Aziz. Now it has lost its charm by a combination of cheap party tricks and a host to match. A fair amount of people still do watch the show, but that might just be because of the lack of quality entertainment on Pakistani Television.