Propagandistic and slow-moving PTV has long represented Pakistan's face to the world even as the Hindi satellite channels carve out a Subcontinent-wide footprint for themselves. Some of this may change, with private satellite channels coming online.
Pakistan was carved out of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947, born of a complex set of circumstances that have lent themselves to the controversy of whether it was meant to be an 'Islamic state', or a liberal, moderate Muslim nation built upon democratic principles. This confusion has also dogged the media policy of successive governments. The founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, declared that religion has nothing to do with the business of the state, but this view was literally censored shortly after his death in September 1948. The struggle to make public this perspective has been part of the battle of ideologies in Pakistan, and is reflected in the media.
Sections of the Pakistani press have put up a fight for democratic principles and editorial independence, but much of the media, especially radio and television, have largely toed the government's line, particularly on foreign affairs and domestic policies. This is thrown into sharp relief during times of conflict when 'national interest' is more 'paramount' than usual. Landmark instances include the 1965 war with India, the Baloch insurgency of the 1970s, the 1971 war with former East Pakistan, and the Zia years (1977-88) when there was strict censorship in any case. After the supposed restoration of democracy in 1988, the press generally played a more independent role, although this has been severely tested, as always, during conflict situations like the nuclear tests of 1998, the Kargil crisis of 1999, in post-9/11 events and the subsequent, ongoing tension with India.
Pakistan Television (PTV) was set up in 1964 as a public limited company with the government holding a controlling stake, pushed through by President Field Marshal Ayub Khan's recognition of its propaganda potential in his bid for a second presidential term – an objective of which the original managers of PTV were unaware. Since then the state's utility of it as a propaganda tool has outweighed the stated objectives of providing information and entertainment.