Murtaza Solangi joined Radio Pakistan as its director general in June 2008. He recalls during his time there as a daily struggle to revamp an organisation stuck in history and political inertia.

"It was not easy," he says. "Radio as medium in Pakistan is not being used to its fullest," he claims.

"Instead of being a medium which informs and entertains, it has turned into a music-playing station."

For the state radio to improve, he claims, "it is very important to follow the model BBC follows. A separate body independent from government control should govern it," he says.

"The Pemra should also allow community radio stations, which deal with local issues of communities."

Calling radio a resilient medium which has withstood its ground in the age of television and the ever noisy digital medium, he says, that reason behind its success is its mobility.

"More and more people are on the move these days. While stuck in traffic jams and commuting long distances people plug into the radio as a means to connect and stay informed and entertained."

One wonders if the argument still holds weight in the age of 3-G mobile services where each user is connected to the internet 24/7.

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