Broadcast media serves as a bridge in society, bridging political differences in thought and action. Since the advent of private television, communication gaps between urban and rural populations have decreased. Television has become a symbol of refuge and hope, standing with the common people against societal inconsistencies and injustices.
However, those who work tirelessly in television face insecurities in social, physical, and financial aspects. Despite the creation of job opportunities through the establishment of over 30 television stations in the country, these media workers face uncertainty. Many television stations do not provide regular salaries, and there is no salary increment throughout the year. Additionally, most television channels lack benefits such as provident funds and gratuities. Happiness turns into fear for them.
Are broadcasters the only ones facing this crisis? The organizations are not exempt from it either! Businessmen are opting for foreign channels to advertise despite the ban imposed by the Ministry of Information. The violence propagated by these foreign channels continues unabated.
Laws exist to protect all businesses in this country, but there is no specific initiative to safeguard domestic television. Foreign channels operate differently, requiring lesser expenses to broadcast our channels abroad.
The content displayed by cable operators and the money they collect from customers are products of our hard work. However, television channels do not receive any portion of this money. In fact, cable operators sometimes hold channels hostage and collect money from them. If each channel were to receive a share of two rupees from the fees collected from customers, the dependence on advertising would decrease significantly.
Meanwhile, television workers are still excluded from wage boards. In this situation, saving the broadcasting medium without joint initiatives from entrepreneurs and workers is becoming increasingly challenging. Therefore, it is crucial to declare television as an industry and implement necessary measures to protect the broadcasting medium and its workers, as it is the need of the hour.