Bol News....Just another news channel or something revolutionary?

[Hadi Rizvi]

As some of us might know, Bol News channel has started its transmission about 2 months ago.

The first thing that I noticed is that they are offering Ultra HD news transmissions which are the first of their kind in Pakistan. Apart from that, they have hired some controversial personalities as their news anchors.

However, the one thing I felt that separates this channel from others is that it is not afraid to expose the government openly. In fact, it seems like Bol News can't listen to anything against the Pak army and loves to expose those who unnecessarily criticise the army.

To me, this seems like the recipe for a change in our media trends and also might spell bad times for other so-called "patriotic" channels which unsurprisingly promote Indian interests and refuse to criticise India in the name of professionalism.

What do you guys think about Bol News?

Discuss.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=26195]DW44[/MENTION] [MENTION=133397]WebGuru[/MENTION] [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] [MENTION=138980]TalentSpotterPk[/MENTION] [MENTION=1269]Bewal Express[/MENTION]

 

[WebGuru]

We needed a big media house to counter Geo/Jang (read PTV News 2 in this govt) and create a balance. BOL is pro army from day 1 that's pretty clear but still they can change the media trends and make life easier for the reporters and technical staff working in media and earning peanuts from years. BOL is investing big in media industry and paying good to the people working for them that is going to hurt GEO/ARY etc.

I hope they start a sports channel soon.

 

[Slog]

It is opposite of Geo news

Geo is lackey if the government and has no morals just like PML-N

Bol it seems is opposite of it though tbh I haven't really watched it a lot

 

[IAJ]

This network could have been very big bul all the media houses got scared as they were losing big names to Bol so they started a big campaign against Axact and Shoaib Ahmed. I dont know if this is true but that is how I understood it.

 

[DW44]

I was extremely disappointed when the whole Axact business went sideways in the courts and the idea of Bol was revived because following the Axact scandal, I really had my hopes up that we were finally done with the whole Bol business and it would never see the light of day. Unfortunately, that was not to be. I don't subscribe to the idea that it is in any way the harbinger of a revolution because a revolution, by definition, is an event that upends the existing order and brings forth a new or at least significantly different version of the original one. That is not at all what Bol represents because it is essentially a mouthpiece for what is already the most powerful entity in the country and all Bol does is give them that much more power by providing an additional outlet for steering public opinion.

I don't believe the Pakistani media follows an Indian agenda, that's just such a ridiculous and implausible accusation. That said, most media houses do have their own agendas e.g. Geo and their love for PML-N, Dunya news who were PTI's official mouthpiece until the 2013 elections after which they did a u-turn and voila, they were pro government too in the blink of an eye and the worst offender of them all, ARY who have essentially been the army's unofficial mouthpiece, something they've been pretty open about as evident by having the likes Sabir Shakir, Dr. Danish and Dr. Shahid Masood front and center on their channel(the two doctors are no longer with them I think but ARY's stance remains the same). This is par for the course for media outlets all over the world e.g. Fox News who think anything short of full blown Christian extremism is an act of war against Christianity or MSNBC who think Obama is some kind of demigod. Accusations of being Indian agents/following an Indian agenda have become a cliched tool of silencing opposing voices and are not to be taken seriously. I personally get about three messages in my "other" inbox on FB every day from random people accusing me of being an Indian agent so I know what kind of mindset those making these accusations have. It's simply a way to discredit a dissenting opinion by associating it with a hated enemy. The fact that the likes of Asma Jehangir, Najam Sethi and Ayesha Siddiqa, some of the saner Pakistani political commentators, are labeled that should be a good enough indication of where this whole Indian agent business is coming from.

Now, as for Bol's impact on the media is concerned, I'm worried to say the least. One of the good things about the media revolution that we've had since 2001-02 is that the media has been very good at holding elected governments to account, especially during PPP's tenure due to the greater degree of freedom the media had then compared to now but even now the PML-N government, along with the four provincial governments, are routinely lambasted by the media for pretty much every transgression. On this front, Bol doesn't really bring anything new or revolutionary to the table since all it does is what everyone else has been doing for years but louder. The only entity that is off limits to the media is the army and a revolution would be a media house that can hold the army to account in the same way existing media houses do the government. That the boys now have their own channel is cause for concern, at least for me, because I cannot overstate the extent to which Pakistan does NOT need more power, especially the kind that can influence public opinion, in the hands of an institution that is already completely unaccountable to anyone and has a track record of grossly misusing it's power, often at the country's expense. With that in mind, I wish Bol all the very worst and sincerely hope that it doesn't get so big that it becomes a law unto itself. If that happens, the repercussions could be serious, to put it mildly. Realistically speaking though, I can't see how that wouldn't happen though given they have virtually unlimited funding and are now owned by ARY who have extensive experience in doing the army's PR work.

 

[DW44]

This network could have been very big bul all the media houses got scared as they were losing big names to Bol so they started a big campaign against Axact and Shoaib Ahmed. I dont know if this is true but that is how I understood it.

While the media outlets were looking to protect their own interests by targeting Bol and Axact, they weren't wrong on the facts and Axact did itself no favors by actually being guilty of virtually everything they were accused of and then some.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

I hope they start a sports channel soon.

I'd love to get rid of PTV Sports ASAP.

The infrastructure that Bol have atm is marvellous for sports broadcasts and if they do get broadcasting rights for all PAK cricket series then it'd be eye candy to say the least.

 

[Mamoon]

Unfortunately I haven't been in Pakistan over the last few months so haven't had a good look at it.

 

[WebGuru]

I'd love to get rid of PTV Sports ASAP.

The infrastructure that Bol have atm is marvellous for sports broadcasts and if they do get broadcasting rights for all PAK cricket series then it'd be eye candy to say the least.

And this will create a competition in the race of broadcasting rights so PCB will earn more.

 

[Major]

Looking at how pro army this channel is, lets hope it stays out of sports.

Ironic how this channel gets to run in a democratic govt, wonder what would had happened under an army govt

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

As some of us might know, Bol News channel has started its transmission about 2 months ago.

The first thing that I noticed is that they are offering Ultra HD news transmissions which are the first of their kind in Pakistan. Apart from that, they have hired some controversial personalities as their news anchors.

However, the one thing I felt that separates this channel from others is that it is not afraid to expose the government openly. In fact, it seems like Bol News can't listen to anything against the Pak army and loves to expose those who unnecessarily criticise the army.

To me, this seems like the recipe for a change in our media trends and also might spell bad times for other so-called "patriotic" channels which unsurprisingly promote Indian interests and refuse to criticise India in the name of professionalism.

What do you guys think about Bol News?

Discuss.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=138463]Slog[/MENTION] [MENTION=26195]DW44[/MENTION] [MENTION=133397]WebGuru[/MENTION] [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] [MENTION=138980]TalentSpotterPk[/MENTION] [MENTION=1269]Bewal Express[/MENTION]

There Strings are in one of the most powerful institute of State.

Hope this doesn't get Messy and collisions are avoided.


The way Bol has relaunced and bail is approved it shows might is right. It shows immense power which ruled judiciary and FIA aswell.


As a viewer yes it's exciting to know inside stories but it is dangerous. Gov is losing out Media battle mainly due to BOL. Pre Election Mian sahib had Geo in his pocket and 10pm election day speech showed it. Plan failed. Until Geo was anti PPP or relatively balanced things were not like this.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

There Strings are in one of the most powerful institute of State.

Hope this doesn't get Messy and collisions are avoided.


The way Bol has relaunced and bail is approved it shows might is right. It shows immense power which ruled judiciary and FIA aswell.


As a viewer yes it's exciting to know inside stories but it is dangerous. Gov is losing out Media battle mainly due to BOL. Pre Election Mian sahib had Geo in his pocket and 10pm election day speech showed it. Plan failed. Until Geo was anti PPP or relatively balanced things were not like this.

1) I didn't understand which plan you are talking about.

2) You mentioned that "might is right" so do you mean to say that Bol News has a correct but dangerous approach?

3) Don't you think that it is a good thing that this incompetent and corrupt Govt is losing media battle?

 

[WebGuru]

1) 3) Don't you think that it is a good thing that this incompetent and corrupt Govt is losing media battle?

Disagree with bro [MENTION=138980]TalentSpotterPk[/MENTION] here BOL is still new and in testing phase so need time to get the market share currently it's not even available on all cable networks. PMLN is managing media very successfully so far thanks to the billions of funds being spent on channels and anchors. If you don't agree with the PMLN approach thn they ban your channels just like they did to NEO and Din News a few days ago they are banned and now 92News is next in the banlist.

After banning anchor Shahid Masood for 45 days now they also banned Ahmed Qureshi both are known for their soft corner for army thats makes PMLN govt uncomfortable.

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

1) I didn't understand which plan you are talking about.

2) You mentioned that "might is right" so do you mean to say that Bol News has a correct but dangerous approach?

3) Don't you think that it is a good thing that this incompetent and corrupt Govt is losing media battle?

1. After attack on Hamid Mir media has taken a wrong turn. I cannot elaborate further because it will hurt people and it may hurt me aswell.

2. Bol News has No approach of its own. They are a Tool. They have relaunched because of Certain powers and now they want to recover the huge financial losses plus fuly assist and satisfy there real bosses who have bailed them out from Courts for the time being.

3. Media should play the role of important state pillar. They are not doing the required job.


I love the government being exposed when it is doing wrong stuff. I also love secret informations exposing corrupt practices but some precedents are dangerous in the long run and this is one of those.