Environmental Analysis

Opportunities and threats [1] Opportunities and threats faced by the electronic media are vast. If we talk about the opportunities a news channel can have, our countrys unpredictable condition is providing the best thing for it. The situation in Pakistan changes so abruptly that everyone, educated or uneducated, wants to get the latest news every time. Whether it is economic, social, cultural, or political situation Pakistan is so impulsive in it. Moreover, around 65% of the population watches TV in our country so delivering authentic and latest news is the biggest opportunity for news channel holders. Plus Electronic media is fast. When some things happened, it is much faster than the print media. Channel holders can make their programs interactive and entertaining to attract as much audience as they can. On the other hand, electronic media also face some certain threats and challenges as well. The electronic media needs to make programs believed by audiences. Believability is a feature of electronic media. Another threat is the increasing competition of the channels. Plenty of news channels are developing in this society. The electronic media has to face this, produce more effective and authentic content to reach audience. Credibility, commitment, professionalism have major influence in this field. Media is not only a mirror to show what all is happening in the society, it also acts as an instrument of social change. Its job is to update and educate the society and act as a medium of communication between the various organs of the society and masses. Its job is to look into the society in all its expression with a penetrating eye, reflect noble ideas and expose social evils and help in their eradication. [2] Safety for Pakistani journalist and media workers Pakistani journalists and media workers have been continuously under attack of terrorism. As they have to go for media coverage at the place where terrorists were attacking at the moment, so naturally their working was full of dangers. Killings, physical attacks and oppression are constant concerns for many Pakistani journalists, editors, cameramen, other media workers and owners. Violence and threats lead to self-censorship and limit the topics and geographical areas being covered by the media. Pakistan is currently ranked number one in the world in the statistics of journalists killed in 2009. So far six journalists have been killed, and recently (May, 2009) a seventh journalist disappeared after he had received threats. This follows a period of increased violence during the last days of the military regime. In the year from May 2007 to May 2008 fifteen journalists were killed, 357 were arrested, 123 sustained injuries in physical assaults, 154 were harassed while there were 18 cases of attacks and ransacking of media properties and 88 cases of various gag orders issued by the government. In 2008 twelve journalists were killed, and at least 74 journalists sustained serious or minor injuries in 41 cases of assault or injury.
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General Conditions:[4],[5] Pakistan has an energetic media landscape; among the most dynamic in South Asia. Media in Pakistan enjoys freedom of expression to a large extent in spite of political pressure and direct bans sometimes administered by political stakeholders. More than 40 television channels beam soaps, satire, music programs, films, religious speech, political talk shows, and news of the hour. Although sometimes criticized for being unprofessional and politically biased, the television channels have made a great contribution to the media landscape and to Pakistani society. The security situation for journalists in general has deteriorated in the past couple of years. Twelve journalists were killed in 2008; and so far by May 2009 six more has been killed. Threats and intimidation against journalists and media workers by state and non-state actors is widespread. Political pressure on media is mostly done indirectly. One tool widely used by the government is to cut off unfriendly media from governmental advertising. Using draconian laws the government has also banned or officially silencing popular television channels. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has been used to silence the broadcast media by either suspending licenses or by simply threatening to do so. In addition, media is also exposed to propaganda from state agencies, pressured by powerful political elements and non-state actors involved in the current conflict. As news coverage on the most popular private television channels is mostly focused on conflict and political stories, reports covering social issue, minorities, marginalized groups, human rights and women rights do not get due exposure in the media. In defense of the media, one could argue that developments within political theatre and the prevailing conflict have been so intense that they have demanded all the attention of journalists and media in general. Our Competitors[6] Geo News is a Karachi-based Pakistani news channel, fully owned and operated by Jang Group. The channel started its broadcasting in November 2005 and has millions of Urdu-language viewers around the world. ARY News is a Dubai-based Pakistani news channel launched in 26 September 2004. A bilingual news channel in English and Urdu, it is a part of the ARY Digital Network, which is a subsidiary of ARY Group. It has a large audience and one main competitor in Geo News. It was previously known as ARY One World until 2009 when it was re-branded as ARY News. Indus Media Group (IMG) owns and operates INDUS TV NETWORK (PRIVATE) LIMITED and the INDUS brand of television channels in various global markets. AAJ News was initially started on March 23, 2005 by the Business Recorder Group. The Business Recorder Group is one of the most prominent media conglomerates in Pakistan. As Aaj News is the only Television network to have an Earth Station, it provides flexibility and control in responding to local and international events. AAJ News caters to all tastes by providing four programming features in the form of News, Current Affairs, Entertainment and Infotainment.

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News One was launched on November 27, 2007. Its a 24-hours news channel in Pakistan. It is licensed by Air Waves Media and comes under the name of the largest advertising group in Pakistan, The Inter flow Group of Companies. The company formally owned Pakistans first private television channel, NTM. Dawn News was Pakistans first 24-hour English news channel. Based in Karachi, the station is a subsidiary of Pakistan Herald Publications Limited (PHPL), Pakistans largest English-language media group. The test transmission of the station occurred on May 25, 2007, and the channel went live on July 23, 2007. SAMAA TV is the project of Jaag Broadcasting (Pvt) was launched in December, 2007. Express News is an Urdu language Pakistani television news channel launched on January 1, 2008. It is owned and run by the countrys third largest Urdu daily, Daily Express. The owners of the channel, Lakson Group, launched Express 24/7 , a 24-hour Pakistani English news channel on February 5, 2009. Waqt News was launched in early 2008 in Pakistan owned by Nawa-i-Waqt media group founded by Hameed Nizami. Nawa-i-Waqt is considered to be one of the most vocal media groups in Pakistan. Dunya News is an Urdu language news and current affairs television channel from Pakistan. The headquarters of the channel are located at Abbot Road, Lahore. Since its launch in 2008, the channel has been giving strong competition to the other news channels in the country. Dunya News is now available throughout Pakistan on local cable operators. Express 24/7 News, Launched on February 5, 2009.

Direct Competition: GEO TV Geo TV, owned by the Independent Media Corporation, is affiliated with the Jang Group of Newspapers. Geo News is under the umbrella of GEO Tv.it is also an urdu channel with a huge audience. Geo is however cable based with no terrestrial access. Geo News has been criticized by the government for exaggerations and misrepresentations of facts. Quite a number of times, the news channel has been subjected to bans and shut downs. When President Musharraf imposed emergency in the 2007, Geo TV Network had to cut off their live broadcast programs on the order from local authorities of Dubai in November. Geo TV was also banned for showing any program with Geo News popular anchors Dr. Shahid Masood and Hamid Mir. In March 2009 Geo News was taken off-air in the evening in many major cities of Pakistan. The step was taken by President Ali Asif Zardari and PPP-led Pakistani government days before Pakistani lawyers had called for a Long March to force the reinstatement of Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry. The ban led to the resignation of Information Minister, journalist Shehri Rehman.[7]

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Our Customers: Because of difference between our news channel and other channels we would have surely a huge audience as we would not just focus on the current news like others, but also focus on issues faced by the different segments of our society and come up with solutions. We wont just deliver news but also have additional features such as having various talk shows which would take into consideration opinion of the experts plus that of the common man. We wont just discuss it and leave it to the general public to come up with their solutions but we would go a step ahead and solve issues. Our audience will include men, women, old citizens, and youngsters as there will be segments targeting each of these groups individually.