The socio-Economic impact of Khyber TV is a topic that requires full understanding of Pashtun Society, its norms and values. Television as medium for social change is still emerging, moving target for researchers across the globe. The success tales of television as a medium for social change have negated the confabulations that television is basically an entertainment medium and it is hostile to thoughts.
Television is an adaptive medium and can follow different approaches when efficaciously and judiciously used and will definitely contribute to the betterment of society in general. This paper is an effort to trace social impact of Khyber television channel on the Pakhtuns around the globe particularly in the Pakistani Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
INTRODUCTION OF KHYBER
Television with its myriad possibilities of informing, entertaining and educating its viewers and also with its unequivocal consummate artistry to captivate the minds of millions, carved its own niche in the hearts of masses.
Khyber, World’s only Pashto Entertainment Channel, has been the voice of Pakhtuns since 2004 by promoting the issues and problems of Pakhtuns by presenting dramas, talk shows, musical shows for all age brackets and all walks of life.
Khyber TV was launched in July 2004. Ever since its inception Khyber TV has focused on highlighting the core issue pertaining to Pukhtun community. Khyber TV has been working relentlessly for over fifteen years to create awareness of pertinent and burning issues. Khyber TV has played its role for the betterment of Pushtuns. Khyber TV has specially designed programs for creating awareness and above all played its role in curbing the menace of extremism. Through its different programs. Since long Pakhtuns have been exploited in the name of religion and identity by the selfish and treacherous entities, and that’s the sole reason why Pakhtuns are lagging behind from other nations. Khyber has imparted and instill awareness and perceptiveness in them. As a result now Pakhtuns are more prudent and actually aware of their rights and issues.
Godwin and Schramm (1968) have promulgated that Television is indeed an effective educational medium in the modern society. They reported that by telecasting effective educational programmes which strengthens the curriculum, television can become an effective medium of education. Stainfield (1972) has analyzed the relation between Television medium and the social behaviour of viewers. He has advised that it is necessary that television should create meaningful attitude and behaviour thereby stopping taking an unnecessary horse ride on viewers. AVT Khyber has played a vital role in the process of social change by acting as a catalyst in the Pakhtun society and is the prime example of this research as it has affected the whole Pakhtun society positively in promoting education, women empowerment and a sense of rights.
KHYBER TV’S SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT
Khyber’s Social Aspects
The social aspects of Khyber TV are influences this channel has had on Pakhtun society since its inception. The belief that this Khyber TV Impact has been dramatic has been largely unchallenged since its inception. Khyber TV has become a part and parcel of the lives of Pakhtun viewers all over the world. The popularity of Khyber TV is ruling the Pashto Television Industry globally, nationally and locally. Khyber TV through its programming is reflecting the social fabric of a Pakhtun society. It is not just a medium of entertainment; rather it’s a vibrant tool for cultural conservation. Cultures that lack arts and its allied forms rapidly stagnate and finally get diminished.
Khyber’s role in Women Empowerment
Khyber TV does not lag behind in its attempt of attracting women audience with new and unique storylines. Though in KP patriarchal families dominate the society, the role of women is considered vital with issues related to the practice of culture and carrying the values to the next generations. Khyber TV’s content is mostly dominated by family dramas and house hold issues to attract the women audience.
How Khyber TV caused a decrease in Domestic Violence
Khyber TV is associated with significant decreases in the reported acceptability of domestic violence towards women and son preference, as well as increases in women’s autonomy. It is also revealed that exposure to Khyber TV increases school enrollment for younger children, perhaps through increased participation of women in household decision-making. In Khyber TV Programmes, the social, cultural and economic values are mostly portrayed as positive.
Khyber TV discouraged anti-social Activities
Khyber TV, in its programmes, has discouraged anti-social activities like smoking, kidnapping and violence. Hospitality, bravery, honesty, compassion forms the bed-rock of Pakhtun culture and these are depicted in almost every programme.
Khyber provides Entertainment for the entire Family
Khyber is a single source of entertainment for the entire family in a Pashtun Household. Entertainment has psychological, social, and economic purposes. They are interrelated. Entertainment provides the audience a respite from labor or work. It provides a distraction and an emotional release from the day-to-day frustrations people amass. When the entertainment is with others, either via presence or affinity, people feel that they are part of a tribe or collective. They can experience a sense of belonging.
Khyber is Pakistan’s Premier Pashto TV Channel geared towards providing quality entertainment TV Programmes for the entire family. Khyber offers everything from kids’ shows to quality dramas. Khyber TV stands out as the most viewed entertainment Pashto channel in Pakistan with a regular lineup of most liked drama serials. Khyber TV provides positive entertainment for the Pakhtuns while explaining their codes of hospitality, culture, ethos, traditions, honor and pride in the right perspective. Khyber musical shows and programs are disseminating the message of romanticism and nationalism among its target audience. Pashto music is light and mesmerized the listeners. Pashto music is full of romanticism. Besides, post-modern Pashto music also reflects the idea of liberty, independence as well as Pakhtun Nationalism.
Pashto CD dramas and movies were posing a challenge to cultural norms and values in a way that was not only unacceptable but also downright shameful. Khyber started providing positive entertainment for the Pakhtuns to the extent that the CD Drama business has almost come to a half. There is robust evidence that exposure to a particular behavior on television changes behavior in the audience. In most cases, the generally positive media portrayal of a role model leads to imitation.
Khyber’s Economic Impact
Khyber has changed the Pakhtun society in so many different ways and continues to change. It has had many different affects on the economy. Khyber is a marketplace, theater, research tool, school, entertainment, and a healthy pastime. One of the biggest effects Khyber TV has on the Pakhtun economy is advertisement. More and more people turn to television for advertisement. After watching advertisements on Khyber people are heading to the store, looking on the internet, or calling the 0800 number trying to purchase the product or products. Khyber, apart from providing job earning opportunities, directly and indirectly, has a reasonable role in improving the efficiency of the Pakhtun economy by providing actors, more and better information with which to make decisions and improving stability.
Khyber TV as an educational tool
The success stories of using Khyber Television for education are remarkably tremendous. Khyber has performed exceptionally well as an educational means especially for the younger Pakhtun generation. Khyber, through its screen, is educating its viewers by bringing awareness regarding multiple issues related to the social and cultural norms of Pakhtun society and rest of the country. Khyber takes pride in grooming the minds of its viewers through its educational and awareness programmes on a regular basis.
Khyber is Promoting Health and healthy behavior
Khyber shows information about desirable (or undesirable) health behavior in the society hence promoting societal health as a whole. The channel has telecasted thousands of morning shows and other programmes featuring renowned herbalists, medical doctors, researchers, and health experts who provide guidance and support AVT Khyber’s viewers to maintain their health.
Khyber and Govt. response
Due to Khyber programming; the government response has improved because it has given a voice to the vulnerable There is a robust link between media development and government responsiveness, especially to the poor, who have numerical strength in a democracy but are often ignored by politicians. A media sector that reaches and gives voice to the vulnerable can create informed citizens that can better monitor the actions of incumbent politicians and use this information in their voting decisions.
Khyber and voting behavior
There is no concept of modern democracy without free and fair elections. Similarly, there is no concept of free and fair elections in the absence of a free mass media. So, democracy, elections and media are indispensable for each other. In Pakistan since the 70 years of its establishment, elections have been conducted with irregular intervals. It has been observed that television is perceived as the most preferred medium by the people for acquiring political information during elections followed by interpersonal channels and newspapers respectively.
Khyber has played an important role in creating political awareness among the Pakhtuns. It has catalyzed positive changes in Pakhtun society by providing the information that influences public opinion. Khyber leads to increases in awareness and changes in behavior across social issue. AVT Khyber has played its role in the overwhelming victory of PTI in KP during the past two general elections. The shows on Khyber influenced decision process of its viewers and shaped their perceptions for Pakistan.
Khyber as Opinion Leader
Studies reveal that television plays an important role in creating political awareness among the youth. The youth, in KP, agree that they vote for certain political party because they knew from Khyber that political party is doing good things for the society. Pakhtuns do watch programmes on Khyber and based on that they asses a political a party and vote for them. That means Khyber is playing the role of an opinion leader by projecting political issues before its viewers.
Conclusion
The role of Khyber TVin social change is not in doubt. The role covers social uprising, education, politics, family system, education and economy. The television sets public agenda and act as opinion leader in the process of social change. Khyber News, the sister channel of Khyber, has contributed extensively towards the acceleration of socio-economic change and the promotion of national integration in the country. The emphasis in the News and current affairs Programs is on events and issues of interest to the Pakhtun population in Pakistan, Afghanistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the world.
