ABSTRACT

This chapter traces the history and development of the television (TV) system in Pakistan. It shows that global media have stayed away from Pakistan. The chapter also shows that the liberalisation of the TV system has only enhanced the dependence on the West. Liberalisation of Pakistan's TV (PTV) regime has enhanced dependency by creating 85 more clients for western hardware besides the state-run PTV. The state-run state TV and the country's press have suffered financially as well in terms of influence with the liberalisation of the TV system in Pakistan. Globalisation of TV content has not merely transformed drama practices, according to critics, in a negative way, but has also economically undermined the drama production industry. Beyond compounding dependency and extending domination of global media over Pakistan, media globalisation has entailed certain consequences for the TV system in the country. The consequences of media globalisation for PTV system explored in terms of McDonaldisation, Disneyisation, tabloidisation and growing corruption.