Chronology of PBC

RADIO PAKISTAN IN THE LIGHT OF HISTORY

·         March 1926 The Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC)‚ a private Company‚ was formed

·         23rd July‚ 1927 IBC started a station at Bombay‚ thus beginning organized broadcasting in Indo-Pakistan‚ sub-continent

·         1928 A small transmitting station was set up at Lahore

·         April 1930 Broadcasting was placed under the direct control of Government under the title 'Indian State Broadcasting Service' (ISBS)

·         January 1934 The 'Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act (1933)' came into force

·         January 1935 NWFP Government set up a 250 watts transmitting station at Peshawar for community listening

·         March 1935 Office of Controller of broadcasting created under the Department of Industries and Labour of the Government

·         August 1935 Mr. Lionel Fielden assumed charge as the first Controller of Broadcasting

·         January‚ 1936 Delhi radio station was opened . Mr A.S.Bukhari Station Director Delhi becomes deputy controller of broadcasting on July 9‚ 1936

·         8th June‚ 1936 The name of Indian State Broadcasting Service was changed as AIR

·         July 16‚ 1936 A station was inaugurated at Peshawar. This station was taken over by the Government of India from the Government of NWFP on April 1‚ 1937

·         July 1942 The Peshawar radio station shifted in a regular broadcasting house December 1937 The Lahore Station went on air

·         March 1939 The Peshawar station was converted into a relay station

·         September 1939 News bulletins were centralized in all languages at Delhi. The same year‚ a station was opened at Dhaka 
Nov 12‚ 1939 Quaid-e-Azam's first radio broadcast from Bombay radio station on Eid day

·         Oct 24‚ 1941 The Department of Information and Broadcasting was set up

·         July 16‚ 1942 Peshawar radio station formally inaugurated

·         February 1943 Controller broadcasting was designated as Director General

·         3 June 1947 Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah makes historic address on AIR and announces the creation of the newly independent state of PAKISTAN for the muslims of the sub-continent

·         Aug 14‚1947 Pakistan comes into being and the announcement of its creation is made by the new organization‚ the Pakistan Broadcasting Service which comes into existence at the same time and later designated as Radio Pakistan

·         Inaugurations of broadcasting stations and transmitters

·         1948 Rawalpindi-3 Radio Station with 500 Watt SW transmitter and Karachi Radio Station with 100 Watt SW transmitter were inaugurated

·         1949 Rawalpindi Station with 100-Watt MW transmitter was inaugurated

·         1950 Inauguration of a new broadcasting house at Karachi
1951 Foundation-stone of Hyderabad radio station with 1 kW MW transmitter was laid

·         17 Oct 1956 Quetta radio station and 1 kW MW transmitter was inaugurated

·         15 Oct. 1960 Inauguration of Rawalpindi-2 radio station with 1 kW SW transmitter and a receiving center at Peshawar

·         1970 A staff Training School & Technical Training School Islamabad and Multan radio station with 120 kW MW transmitter inaugurated

·         Radio Pakistan was converted into a body corporate under an ordinance issued by the former President of Pakistan‚ Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1972.

·         The foundation stone of PBC Headquarters‚ Islamabad building was laid by the former President Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on 27th April‚ 1972.

·         After the new constitution had been framed and brought into effect in 1973‚ the parliament passed “PBC Act 1973”.

·         21 April 1973 World Service for overseas Pakistanis inaugurated

·         1974 Foundation-stone of 100 kW Transmitter‚ Khairpur laid

·         18 Aug 1975 Inauguration of Bahawalpur radio station with 10 kW MW

·         1977 The main broadcasting unit of PBC‚ the Islamabad Radio station in the new National Broadcasting house with 1‚000 kW MW transmitter was inaugurated

·         1977 Inauguration of Gilgit radio station with 250 Watt MW transmitter and Skardu radio station with 250 watt MW transmitter

·         1981 Turbat radio station with 250 Watt MW and D.I.Khan radio station with 10 kW MW transmitter and Khuzdar radio station with 250 Watt MW inaugurated

·         15 Sept. 1982 Faisalabad radio station with 250 Watt MW came on air

·         7 May 1986 A new broadcasting house‚ Khairpur was inaugurated

·         1989 Inauguration of Sibi relay station with 250 Watt transmitter and Abbottabad relay station with 250 Watt transmitter .

·         Aug 1993 Chitral radio station with 1 kW FM transmitter was inaugurated

·         Radio Pakistan Larkana was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto on 24th September‚ 1995.

·         1996 Foundation stone of Loralai station and 10 kW MW transmitter and 10 kW MW transmitter at Zhob were laid .

·         1997 Federal minister of Information Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed inaugurated the computerization of the PBC news processing system and availability of the news bulletins on the Internet in text and audio form.

·         In October 1998 Radio Pakistan started FM transmission.

·         Inauguration of  FM101 Station at PBC Islamabad.

·         2005 new FM regular stations set up at Gawadar‚ Mianwali‚ Sargodha‚ Kohat‚ Bannu‚ Mithi

·         The National Broadcasting Service was launched by the former Minister of Information & Broadcasting Sherry Rehman on 18th August‚ 2008.

·         Presently Radio Pakistan is broadcasting programmes in 23 languages.

·         In March 2014, 100 KW medium wave transmitter at Turbat Station was made operational and put on air.

·         In May 2014,the 400 KW medium wave digital transmitter, newly installed at Peshawar under USAID program, was inaugurated. The transmitter is radiating 18 hours services daily on the frequency 1260 KHz, covering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and parts of Punjab.

·         In July 2014, a new 100 KW medium wave digital transmitter was installed and put on air from Hyderabad station. The transmitter is radiating 148 hours services daily on the frequency 1008 KHz, covering major cities of Sindh.

·         In August 2014, the 100 KW medium wave digital transmitter, newly installed at D.I Khan under USAID program, was inaugurated. The prime objective is to cover South and North Waziristan. In August, FM Varsa Channel was launched from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi on the frequency 94 MHz, for effective promotion of our cultural heritage including classical, semi-classical, folk and Sufi music. 

·         In August 2014, the face-lifting of the old and shabby buildings of Lahore and Peshawar radio stations were carried out and studios renovated.

·         In August 2014, one studio each at Lahore and Peshawar radio stations were dedicated to Mustafa Ali Hamdani and Aftab Ahmed respectively, the first announcers announced creation of Pakistan from Radio Pakistan, at midnight, on 13th August 1947.

·         In October 2014, the out of order 100 KW short wave transmitter, installed at Rawat Transmitting Station, was made operational and put on air. The services are available in AJK and Indian-held Kashmir.

·         In November 2014, a group of PBC personnel comprising studio engineer, IT engineer and producer joined a training program held at Antalya, Turkey under the auspices of Turkish Radio & Television Corporation.

·         In December 2014,a 100 KW MW digital transmitter, imported from Canada, was received for Multan station. After Installation, the transmitter will cover the  Southern Punjab.

·         In December 2014, a 10 KW medium wave digital transmitter, imported from Germany, was received for Karachi station. After its installation, MW services in Karachi and adjoining areas will be rehabilitated.

·         In December 2014, FM Sautul Quran Channel is being launched from Islamabad on frequency 93.5 MHz. The Channel is broadcasting recitation from the Holy Quran and its Urdu translation for 18 hours daily. Similar services will also be broadcast from 19 other cities in near future.

·         In December 2014, a ceremony was held in the PBC Headquarters, Islamabad to confer awards upon the PBC personnel belonging to Engineering, Program and News sections, in recognition to their excellent performance.