Key Takeaways
- The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved a Rs13 billion Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) for Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) for FY2026-27.
- The grant will be released in four equal quarterly instalments of Rs3.25 billion each.
- The ECC directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to develop a roadmap for PTVC’s financial sustainability.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved a Rs13 billion Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) for Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) for the fiscal year 2026-27. The grant, to be released in four equal quarterly instalments of Rs3.25 billion, aims to ensure the financial sustainability of the national public service broadcaster.
The decision was made during a meeting of the ECC, headed by the Finance Minister, on July 31, 2026. The committee directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for PTVC’s financial sustainability and present it by the end of September 2026.
According to the Information and Broadcasting Division, PTVC, operating under the Companies Act, 2017, and under the administrative control of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is the country’s national public service broadcaster. It plays a crucial role in national integration and development by showcasing Pakistan’s cultural diversity and projecting a vibrant, progressive, tolerant, inclusive, and peaceful image of the nation.
The division informed the ECC that PTVC is required to maintain uninterrupted nationwide broadcasting operations and meet substantial recurring expenditures, including pay and allowances, utility charges, satellite and transmission costs, programme production, security services, contractual payments, and other essential operational expenses.
The ECC expressed concern over PTVC’s continued dependence on government funding and emphasized the need for the corporation to develop sustainable revenue-generation mechanisms. The forum specifically suggested devising a mechanism for the collection of licence fees to generate revenue and reduce PTVC’s recurring reliance on government funding.
Responding to the observation, the Information and Broadcasting Division maintained that PTVC’s operational requirements are substantially different from those of private channels due to its much broader geographical outreach. It explained that the corporation’s workforce is larger compared to leading private television news channels, and its organisational strength is not commensurate with the revenue being generated by the corporation.
The ECC also discussed PTVC’s sizeable workforce and observed that its organisational strength was not commensurate with the revenue being generated by the corporation. The committee highlighted the need for PTVC to develop sustainable revenue-generation mechanisms to ensure its financial sustainability.
The approval of the Rs13 billion grant is a step towards ensuring that PTVC can continue its operations without constant reliance on government funding. The roadmap to be developed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will play a crucial role in achieving this goal.
