Political situation has been changed during last decade due to the direct involvement of the youth in Pakistan politics which was not similar in past. This shifting of paradigm obviously change the Media organizations and its content. There are numerous social media channels but above all the mainstream media has its own influence to its viewership. The viewer’s trends have mould the media trends and now media bound to obey the intention of its viewers while this practice was not very much common in previous years. Political change and with the induction of the youth has reshaped the routine scenario of the main stream media which been split into political party oriented channel with partial identity. It was also observed that the mainstream media channels which have promoted the voices of their viewers touched the high scale of ratting while some of them which were considered as top been bow down credibility due to its reduce viewership.
As GEO TV was considered as one of the leading news channel few years back but when the PTI (Considered as youth representative political party) won the election and come into the power the GEO TV lose its viewership and trend been changed and it following gone ditched. So, as we say that viewership trends not always stay constant but it vary time to time. GEO TV was on top notch in 2016 to 2017 but after the regime change in the politics the TRP decreased due to the less viewership of the viewers. So, the results been changed gradually.
In a recent report released by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), the viewership trends of mainstream electronic media in Pakistan for the last five years have been revealed. The report highlights significant changes in the industry and provides insights into the behavior of Pakistani audiences. According to the report, the total viewership of electronic media in Pakistan has increased significantly over the last five years. In 2018, the total viewership was recorded at 146 million, which increased to 163 million in 2019 and further jumped to 183 million in 2020. This indicates a growth rate of around 25% in just two years.
The report also highlighted that the viewership trends of different types of electronic media have been changing over the years. For example, the viewership of news channels has remained steady, while entertainment channels have shown a significant increase in viewership. In 2018, news channels had a total viewership of 61 million, while entertainment channels had a viewership of 85 million. However, in 2020, news channels had a viewership of 70 million, while entertainment channels had a viewership of 113 million. Moreover, the report also revealed that the distribution of viewership across different regions of Pakistan has also been changing. In 2018, Punjab had the highest viewership, followed by Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, in 2020, Sindh took the lead with the highest viewership, followed by Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The report also highlighted that the use of digital platforms for viewing electronic media has increased significantly over the last five years. In 2018, only 15% of viewers used digital platforms to watch electronic media, while in 2020, the number increased to 36%. This shows a significant shift in the behavior of Pakistani audiences towards digital platforms. Overall, the report suggests that the electronic media industry in Pakistan is growing rapidly and the viewership trends are changing accordingly. The increase in the use of digital platforms and the changing distribution of viewership across different regions indicate a dynamic and evolving industry.
The writer is a student of BS Journalism Studies, 8 Semester at School of Communication Studies, University of the Punjab, Lahore.