My first encounter with an English news channel in Pakistan was way back in 2007, when I was the editorial pages editor of The News. I was approached by Dawn (where I had worked for over a decade and had only just moved to The News a year earlier) to work for their planned English news channel.
However, I wasn’t sure about the feasibility and sustainability of a full-fledged English news channel operating in Pakistan, so I politely declined – even though the salary being offered was almost double what I was earning at the time.
Eventually, the channel was launched, but after a couple of years they had to switch it to a fully Urdu news channel, and it is now known as Dawn News. It simply didn’t work out as an English-only news channel based in Pakistan and attracted very little advertising – until it transitioned to Urdu-only content and programming.
Fast forward to 2009, and another English-only news channel was in the pipeline – this time by the Jang Group, which had already launched Geo with considerable success. There was a lot of recruitment going on at the time, including some good friends who asked me to consider making the move. Again, I was hesitant – probably because I was still very much a traditional (read: print) journalist and reluctant to switch mediums.
As it turned out, that proved to be the right decision, since Geo English was shelved before it was even launched. The Jang Group had decided it was a financial risk not worth taking – and the reason was obvious: an English-only news channel based in Pakistan would very likely struggle with local audiences.
For Pakistani audiences, alternatives like the BBC and CNN exist, while foreign viewers rely on English-language print and occasional Western news segments on Pakistan
The reason for this, at least in my view, is quite straightforward. When I want to watch the news in English, I usually tune in to a foreign channel – Al Jazeera English, Fox News, BBC, CNN, or Sky News – or I simply watch English-language news clips on YouTube and other platforms. I wouldn’t watch English news on a Pakistani channel that was broadcasting exclusively in English. And for news about Pakistan, I would turn to the usual Pakistani news channels, which don’t need to broadcast in English – because for English-language news, there are already so many other established sources.
This then raises the question: who is the target audience for a Pakistani news channel that broadcasts only in English? The answer would have to be foreign audiences interested in news about Pakistan. They might want to watch such a channel for English-language reporting on the country – not for news about their own regions or countries, since there are already many international channels for that.
But that leads to a few other fundamental questions.
For starters, how large is this target audience? You could include foreign diplomats stationed in Pakistan in this potential viewership, but their numbers are far too small to justify launching – and running – a commercially viable English-only news channel. And that is perhaps why even established outlets like Al Jazeera and RT usually have strong financial backing from their respective governments. In fact, both are more or less fully funded by their governments – to the extent that Al Jazeera continues to operate at a loss.
Now turning to Pakistan, there is news that not one but two English-only news channels are currently being planned. One of them has even released a promo – which features mostly non-Pakistanis, none of whom are particularly well known. It is, of course, important to have a channel like Al Jazeera or even RT that builds credibility with foreign audiences – but the key is to hire well-known journalists and recognisable media professionals, not random white faces and the occasional minority presenter. That is not the right way to do it, because such a channel will struggle to attract a dedicated viewership.
For Pakistani audiences, alternatives like the BBC and CNN exist, while foreign viewers rely on English-language print and occasional Western news segments on Pakistan.
However, if English-language Pakistani channels are staffed by credible and competent Pakistani journalists, this will add authenticity to their reporting and attract the right kind of audience. But the fundamental question remains: is there a large enough audience for an English-only news channel based in Pakistan to make it a financially sustainable venture?
The answer is, most likely not – unless, of course, the objective is not commercial sustainability but rather to establish an English-language news channel that can compete with other international outlets in terms of quality and reach.
That, however, introduces a different set of challenges – not least among them the ability to recruit and retain journalists who are either well known to international audiences or strong enough professionally to establish a sustainable and respected operation. Hiring the right people will be crucial to the long-term success of such a venture – and, judging by at least one upcoming English news channel based in Pakistan, it appears this point has been completely missed.