MEDIA ENDORSES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INNOVATION BOARD IN PAKISTAN -“We need to focus on linking Innovation with the Pakistani media industry if we want our businesses to sustain and create value for our stakeholders” - Amir Jahangir, CEO SAMAA TV

ISLAMABAD, 2nd May –For the first time in Pakistan’s history an Innovation Board has been established by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) jointly with the Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF) to integrate innovation across the various sectors with the aim to bring Pakistan on a more competitive global footing.

The announcement was made last week during a meeting chaired by the by Dr. Sohail Naqvi, Executive Director, HEC and under the presence of the executive management of CSF and a number of R&D institutes and Universities from across the country. The Board will develop 12 pillars to promote knowledge based enterprise development in Pakistan.

The media has supported the establishment, claiming it is an essential element for the sustainability of any business or industry – in particular the media industry, as this is one business, which along with playing a responsible role in creating awareness among its communities based on knowledge and factual journalism, is also the key player in linking the information with the knowledge managers for innovative strategies and business developments in Pakistan. According to the business community, such linkages add on to bringing in more foreign investments and improving the socio-economic situation in the country.

Speaking to Mr. Amir Jahangir, Chief Executive Officer of SAMAA TV, one of Pakistan’s leading news channels, Mr. Jahangir said that “The World Economic Forum has defined Innovation as the 12th pillar for the economic growth of any country or region in the world, which surely shows the importance of integrating this component into our economy. However, I feel that this is one of the most essential tools for any business if it wants to have a competitive edge over others and all enterprises need to realize its importance if they want to sustain in the competitive environment”.

Mr. Amir Jahangir is the first Pakistani media professional to have been appointed as the Program Advisor to the VINNOVA-Stanford Research Center of Innovation Journalism, advising the center on Journalism and Media in Pakistan. Mr. Jahangir’s appointment is a result of his previous work with the Stanford University, as he played a leading role in getting Pakistani journalists to be included in the Stanford Innovation Journalism Programme (INJO). The INJO programme focus on building the capacity of media professionals to report on innovation, develop interaction between journalism and innovation, including how innovation is changing the profession and business of journalism, how to cover innovation in the news, and how journalism links innovation with society.

Mr. Jahangir shared that SAMAA TV is working very effectively on innovation initiatives for its industry as part of its commitment to bring the Pakistani media on a more competitive global footing. He shared that SAMAA TV is the first media channel in the world to launch a Digital News Gathering System (DNGS) through wireless solutions using the WiMax technology. This pioneering system allows live broadcast from remote locations, rapid reporting from the field and transfer of high quality videos. The introduction of this new innovative solution has resulted in a reduction of business cost of almost 75% compared to the standard solutions currently being used in the media industry.

Speaking on some of SAMAA’s initiatives, Mr. Jahangir said that “we need to think out of the box now to address our current socio-economic situation, as the challenges are there but the tools of remedy need to be revised if we want sustainable impact”.

SAMAA TV is the first media channel in Pakistan to have received an award by UNICEF for introducing the Polio Control Cell, an innovative communication strategy aimed at addressing the information gaps between the polio field teams and the targeted children across Pakistan. This cell has also been applauded by Dr M. Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Mr. Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, naming it a “bold” initiative in completing the job of polio eradication. The Foundation has furthermore also promoted the initiative as “The Pakistan Model” and to be replicated in the remaining endemic countries, which are fighting the war against polio.

Realizing the capacity building of talent in Pakistan, SAMAA TV is also the first media channel to introduce its own scholarship programme in collaboration with HEC for Media Sciences students, who along with the full scholarship for their Master’s level degree will also be offered a one-year job contract with SAMAA TV.

Many other initiatives have also been undertaken by SAMAA TV, as part of its role in promoting Innovation Journalism. It is also the first media channel in Pakistan to launch a website in accessible format for visually impaired persons so that information and knowledge may reach out to all communities, including the vulnerable ones and empower them to be included in the work force of Pakistan. The website will be functional by third quarter of 2009.

Similarly, a Media Talent Growth Programme has been established between SAMAA and many of the universities across Pakistan. This programme aims at developing joint initiatives to build the capacity of students pursuing an educational career in Media Sciences and empower talent for Pakistan’s Media Industry. By encouraging the academia where fresh knowledge is produced, SAMAA is trying to link this knowledge with the industries to create innovation and make impact on the national level. Included in this programme, are the launch of various film and documentary contests among universities to show case talent and provide platforms to the students to voice their concerns on the media’s role in today’s society. Innovative modules are also being developed for training solutions to the public as well as private universities.

SAMAA TV is one of Pakistan’s leading private satellite channels, which takes pride in its fair, factual and independent news coverage through its on-the-hour bulletins, breaking stories, incisive political analysis and current affairs programs. The channel has also made a niche for itself through its programs on women and youth issues besides infotainment. SAMAA TV, launched in December 2007 is the only Pakistani news channel, which is run as a corporate company rather than as a family owned business.