IMPACT OF PAKISTAN TELEVISION’S INFOTAINMENT PROGRAM BAZM- E-TARIQ AZIZ ON YOUTH EDUCATION

Purpose of the study: The present study analyses the impact of PTV infotainment and the educative program Bazm-eTariq Aziz (Neelam Gher) on moulding the behaviours of youth in Pakistan. The purpose and, major focus of the study is to measure and analyses the effect of the Television program on youth education in Pakistan. Methodology: Quantitative method was used in this study. In this regard, survey was conducted from the population having diverse demographics viz: gender, age group, and education etc. Main Findings: The findings of the study depict that the PTV program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz (Neelam Gher) has imparted knowledge, awareness, and education to the young population of Pakistan. Application of this study: The study may be applied to examine the learning behaviour of youth through infotainment programs aired on Television. Novelty / originality of this study: Electronic media plays a significant role in the dissemination of knowledge and education. Since the inception of Pakistan Television (PTV) in the country, it has been widely watched by the public of all age groups particularly the youth of the country. PTV has aired many informative and infotainment programs but the program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz (Neelam Gher) has played a special role in educating the masses through its diverse style and programming.


INTRODUCTION
Electronic media particularly Television broadcast has become a fundamental element in modern and dynamic society. Television occupies an important place in our daily life and has become part of a basic family unit. Television has an extreme impact on the general public. It has changed the way of life of the population and has become more pronounced in public and society. Like the print media, which had a relatively long-lasting impact on the way of life, the impact of television was virtually rapid. The development of infotainment goes hand in hand with a globalization process (Raman & Kumar, 2019).
Television has a significant impact on the lives of young people, particularly in the development of moral formation and attitudinal change in their daily lives. Television has a direct relationship with the lives of today's youth. At a young age, they become acquainted with a variety of television programs. Because of their early exposure to television, today's youths rely heavily on television for information and entertainment. The rise of television as the dominant leisure time activity for the majority of people in countries where TV is available was one of the most significant social trends of the twenty-first century (Narasimhamurthy, 2014).
Television is, by definition, an entertainment medium, therefore educational programs along with some entertainment programs are necessary to incorporate to maintain audience interest. Extremes of either can have negative consequences, thus a balance is essential (David & Hertz, 2007).
Since the establishment of Pakistan Television in 1964, it has remarkable history of airing awareness, education and entertaining programs for its viewers throughout the country. One of the most popular PTV's infotainment & educational program is Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz which is also known as Neelam Ghar & Tariq Aziz Show. It's broadcast was started in 1975 with the name of Neelam Gher, in 1997 it was renamed as "Tariq Aziz show" to pay tribute to its host and presenter Tariq Aziz ( a renowned anchor, politician, artist), and in 2006 it was again renamed as "Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz" (PTV, 2021).
Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz has consistently been aired more than thirty-five years (35) years and undoubtedly has played a significant role in boosting youth knowledge in Pakistan. Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz has gained immense popularity among public due to its versatility, and dynamic anchoring of Tariq Aziz, that has made it the most popular quiz show in the country. It ruled the electronic media more than three decades and breakdown the records of popularity and viewership. It focuses on basic education levels that are valuable to both adolescents and adults. PTV's function in youth education becomes even more significant in this scenario because of its terrestrial and wide coverage. As a result, the educational programs on PTV constitute a big boost to the constantly increasing youth mindset in the country (PTV, 2021; PEMRA, 2021).
Developing and emerging countries have realized that advancement & social progress is inextricably linked to the enhancement of adult education and in this regard, literacy campaigns are considered the most important expression of this thought. In advanced and developed countries, it is becoming clear that their advancement and progression also depends to a large extent on youth education, which until now has been a key aspect of their educational systems. These nations are developing so rapidly, and knowledge is accumulating to such an extent, that their traditional exclusive concern with the education of children and youth is today anachronistic. New needs on an unprecedented scale demand new media satisfy them and television comes first. All countries should consider or reconsider the use of television for adult education and can use the experiences of others as a proxy (Groombridge, 1966).
Television, as an electronic medium of communication, has become a formidable force in the transmission of social values and norms in a civilized society. Because of its dramatic and demonstrative powers, it has not only become a part of everyday life, but also a veritable source of information, education, and entertainment. Teenagers have been identified as a media audience that spends a significant amount of time watching television. As a result, it plays an important role in structuring their lives in some shape or form, potentially leading to the formation of false ideals (Mtandika, 2013).
Youth attention is diverted away from productivity when educational content is broadcast on television. Visual education is more successful than aural education in studies. Family Game shows are gaining popularity among TV viewers, the decisive exhibition follows the famous model, in which the host is the authorized parent with dominant behaviour. The target market is generally very colourful and typically represents a select glory of society. The analytical approach of the course includes textual content, that is, interaction and context, as well as discourse and sociocultural practices, especially the mediation of social capital in media discourse. Not only do video images aid understanding of concepts that are restricted by imagination, but young pupils are also more interested in information that combines instruction and enjoyment and is not analysed (Anjary & Hassan , 2016).
Television broadcast plays a key role in the dissemination of mass awareness and education promotion particularly focusing the youth. However, contrary attention has been given to this topic by the Government and other concerned authorities. The Television medium has not been properly utilized for this particular aspect. Parallel to this, it is indeed a fact that Pakistan Television (PTV) distinguishes from other TV networks available in the country and, is airing more educational stuff as compared to other TV networks. The present study will analyse the impact of PTV's very popular infotainment program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz on the knowledge and education of youth in the country.

Significance
The importance of electronic media in the present era of technological advancement is unneglectable. The present study will determine the effectiveness of infotainment programs aired on P.T.V. The usefulness of infotainment and educational programs especially designed for the youth of the country will be analysed since this dimension needs to be addressed. 3. To know whether infotainment programs increase the knowledge and awareness of the viewership or not.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Brown (1990) studied India's first long-running television soap opera Hum Loog (We People) for its prosocial impact. Hum Loog was a pro-social television show that aimed to raise the status of women in Indian society. Viewers' knowledge of the program's prosocial messages, television reliance, and interaction with television characters in the series were all favourably associated with exposure to Hum Log. Women's equality and freedom of choice were likewise more likely to be believed by viewers exposed to Hum Loog.
According to Stockwell (2004), the claim regarding Television infotainment programs is "dumbing down" public discourse prompts an examination of the relationship between journalists and their audiences, as well as consideration of the relevance of "fourth estate" theory to current circumstances. Infotainment genres such as lifestyle shows, reality TV shows, talk shows, documentaries, etc. are all taken into account. When taken as a whole, these genres are said to Saglik & Ozturk (2001) describe that the Television is considered as one of the most useful & effective means of communication in distance education due to its diversified characteristics such as broad audience coverage and audiovisual coverage simultaneously, creation of equal opportunities & the distribution of human resources to large audiences.
In the distance learning education system, lack of face-to-face training and mutual interaction is very important. Television programs can be used both for personal education and mutual interaction to create a feeling of togetherness.
According to Klein (2011), the educational potential of TV entertainment has been recognized, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, through research on entertainment-education strategies, the intersection of popular media and politics, and the mediated public sphere. The researcher noted that he considered the delicate balance of roles and responsibilities generated by entertainment television content which presented exceptional viewpoints on social subjects.
Ekeanyanwu (2011) describes that in a civilized culture, television has evolved into a powerful agent in the propagation of social values and conventions. Furthermore, entertainment television is a term used to describe television channels that focus on entertaining content. According to the researcher, 81.9 percent of youngsters said they watched entertainment television regularly.
Sangameswar (2012) explains that PTV has aired a variety of religious, moral, scientific, and health education programs for all age groups particularly the youth since its inception in 1964. Although most Pakistani houses have one or two television sets, and PTV must cater to viewers of different ages and interests, the consensus is that viewers are satisfied with the content broadcast.
Klein (2013) reveals that the portrayal of social issues in popular culture, the expected and insignificant job of television programs to amuse its viewers is challenged. In the study the researcher examined how consumers connect with and use entertaining TV in dialogs of social issues which have conventionally been defined closely about news and entertaining media viz: child abuse, colonization, and debility, based on focus groups with UK television viewers. Though theories about the role of entertaining TV programs are revealed in audience scepticism about the suitability of using these programs as a core for considering the entertaining TV, and social world which includes different angles on such matter has the prospective to broaden means and encourage premeditation.
Novikova, A. A. (2014) states that professional journalism is examined as a technique for interpreting facts that have helped to dispel the myths of mass awareness created by Soviet propaganda. According to the researcher, television news and other informational programs have inflicted Russian socio-cultural processes, particularly in moulding the perspective of post-Soviet intellectuals known as the "new intelligentsia." Tahir & Shafi (2015) argue that electronic media, as a powerful agent of socialization, has had a considerable impact on the learning process of youth. There was a close link between the media's desire to offer programming that would broaden intellectual horizons. The role of the media in raising youth knowledge levels in various aspects of life was discovered to have a highly meaningful relationship. Various programs, talk shows, debates, and other programs help young people grasp various topics. Young people look forward to heroes as role models and try to copy their style. The media has played an important part in transmitting knowledge to youngsters since it acts as a catalyst for providing the most up-to-date information to the recipients and has established a level of confidence among viewers. The most powerful source of mass communication has a significant impact on youth and reshapes their behaviour.
According to McAlone (2017) adolescents' resort to the internet when they can't locate programs that interest them, however, just 17.8% of Pakistan's population has access to the internet. Since its inception in 2005, the internet in FATA has never been fully functional. Similarly, most rural communities in Pakistan do not have access to cable or satellite television and rely solely on terrestrial antennas or may not have any television at all. In a circumstance like this, a big audience looks to PTV for educational content, and the channel's efforts to promote education through its programming should be commended.
Coe & Kuttner (2018) argue that the media particularly the electronic media can play an important role in the education sector by informing the public about pressing issues and influencing the way these issues are prioritized and understood. Due to this reason, educationists and researchers are increasingly expressing concerns about how much attention the media pays to education, what topics are covered, and how the topics are covered.
According to Riaz & Arif (2019) that culture and media are thought to be inextricably linked, as several studies reveal that media shapes culture and culture influences media content. The dominating media's cultural influence has been recognized all over the world. Globalization of the media has put national identities in jeopardy. The researcher further argues that foreign entertainment television programs have a significant impact on youth.
Siraj (2021) states that even though students believed that TV has benefitted them in general, the program's telecast times overlap with their daily study routines, disrupting full-scale learning. As a result, students continue to rely on books rather than video content. Students also agreed that, when they watch television, they do not discuss the content of Marinov (2020) portrays that, since the term "infotainment" was coined in the 1980s, academic interest in it has increased significantly. The developing area of infotainment research has evolved into a significant interdisciplinary field of study, yielding various political, cultural, and social insights. Nonetheless, both as a phrase and a subject of study, infotainment is a hotly debated, complicated, and incoherent concept. Although first attempts to provide better conceptual clarity and standardization to the word have been undertaken, their effectiveness has been limited, resulting in challenges in assessing and consistently comparing findings.
Nadeem, et al. (2020) state that in an ever-changing, information-explosive society, there is a desperate need to foster communication and political education. One of the most important aspects of sustainability is social inclusion. Television is a source of current events and entertainment information. Because of technological advancements, television viewership has increased. Political satirical programs are becoming increasingly popular. Political information and education are presented in a lighter manner in satirical performances. Satire shows add beauty to knowledge and education, and people enjoy themselves while learning about politics. Mimicry and satire show also serve an educational purpose.
Khattri (2021) states that traditional news and current affairs sections are declining in developing countries like India, whereas the infotainment section has grown significantly. The widespread role of television is to make the entire media into simple entertainment, thereby dumbing down the public conversation. As a result, younger audiences are increasingly drawn to novel kinds of current affairs programs, such as chat shows, discussion programs, reality shows, tabloid news, etc. Although the most effective journalism has always been a mix of news and entertainment.

H-1
PTV's infotainment program Bazm-e-Tariq has had a positive impact on its viewership, particularly the young population of the country.

METHODOLOGY
To know the impact of PTV's infotainment and educational program Bazm-e-Tariq on the youth of the country, a quantitative research methodology was used in the present study. In this regard, a survey was conducted among the target population. A questionnaire-based on closed-ended questions was prepared. The questionnaire was distributed among the target population to get the responses of the participants. The sample size of the population was 300 among this 50% of the selected population belongs to the male group and 50% of the selected population belongs to the female group. Population size was restrained to 18-35 years. The responses received from the respective respondents were analysed with the help of SPSS to get the results.

Demographical analysis of participants
The demographic characteristics of the respondents are as under:  According to the results, a significant majority of participants i.e. 76.9% responded that they watch PTV more than three hours daily, 17% participants claimed that they watch PTV once in a week time, while 5% of the participants occasionally watch PTV programs whereas only 1% respondents are those who do not watch PTV. The results of Table-2 depict that 43% of the respondents give preference to watch entertainment programs, 38.7% of respondents are those who like to watch educational programs, and the rest of the participants did not share their views. According to Table-3, a significant majority i.e. 28% believes that PTV aired both educational and entertainment programs to satisfy the needs of the viewership.17% of the participants are of the view that PTV key focus on airing entertainment stuff, 15% of respondents believe that PTV emphasizes on broadcast educational programs, 21% have neutral views about the statement and 19% of the respondents did not share their response. According to the results, about 29% of the participants believe that programs aired on PTV satisfy their needs, 42% considered that to some extent the programming content aired on PTV gratify their needs, 17% of respondents rarely believe the statement whereas 18% of the participants did not agree with the statement. The results of the survey reveal that 25% of the participants are satisfied with the programming content of PTV's educational programs, 31% opposes the statement, and 44% of respondents did not share their valued opinion on the statement. According to the results, 33% of the respondents believe and support the role of PTV in boasting youth moral towards education, 29% of the participants did not believe the statement and 38% of the participants are those who have not to share their views about the role of PTV in boosting the morale of the youth towards education. The results reveal that a significant majority 63% of the selected population agrees that PTV programs play an important  According to the results of the survey, about 63% of respondents are those who watched PTV's infotainment & educational program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz with keen interest. 17% of the participants are those who liked to watch Bazme-Tariq Aziz to some extent whereas 9% of participants occasionally liked to watch the show and 11% of participants did not agree with the statement. According to the results, 62% of the respondents considered that the Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz show is a highly motivated and education-oriented program that enhances knowledge and education. Only 10% of participants disagreed with the statement and 28% of the respondents haven't shared their opinion. The results of the survey depict that infotainment programs are helpful to disseminate educational content and knowledge. According to the results, 65% of the respondents believe the content of Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz enhances their knowledge and awareness particularly the youth. 10% of the participants have contradictory views whereas 25% of the respondents did not share their valuable thoughts on the issue. According to the results of Table-11, about 54% of participants believe that the content of PTV's program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz influences the ethical and moral values of the viewers predominantly the young viewership, whereas 27% of the respondents are those who considered that the same to some extent whereas 7% respondent's opined that content of PTV's program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz rarely influences the ethical and moral values of the viewers and 12% participants to have contradictory views about the statement. The results show that a high ratio of participants 54% believed that PTV played a significant role in improving the ethical & moral behaviour of the young population of the country. The results depict that 62% of the respondents favoured the statement, 13% did not agree with the statement whereas 25% of respondents have neutralized opinions. According to the survey results a majority of respondents i.e. 79% opined that PTV and other private channels working in the country should establish a dedicated educational channel for information, and awareness of the mass, only 7% of the participants opposed the statement and 14% of the participants have not shared their valuable opinion in this regard. The results depict that 59% of the respondents agreed that Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz has a positive impact on the social behaviors of its viewers whereas 12% of respondents did not agree with the statement and the rest 29% have neutralized opinion.

DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS
As the major focus of the study is to gauge the impact of infotainment program on the young viewership of the country, therefore the age group selected for the present study is from 18-35 keeping in view to get the responses from the youth. According to the results a significant population i.e. about 39% watched T.V to get knowledge and education ( Table 2). A significant majority of selected population opined that Pakistan Television is playing a meaningful and encouraging role in boasting youth moral towards education, these results are encouraging and reveals the importance of the education programs to be aired on the television for mass awareness, knowledge and information.
Similarly, 65% of the target population opined that the PTV educational programs are helpful in enhancing their knowledge it shows that educational programs inflict impact on its viewers (Table 10). Likewise, majority of the population endorsed that they like infotainment & educational program, Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz and due to the viewership of Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz their awareness level, knowledge and education are enhanced. More so, a large number of participants i.e. 54% opined that the content of PTV's program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz influences the ethical and moral values of the viewers due to its positive content and programming attributes (Table 11).

CONCLUSION
The results of the study depict that PTV infotainment program Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz has inflicted positive impact on the young viewership. A significant majority of respondents considered that Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz has not only improves their awareness level but also provided them education, general knowledge, social guidance etc. in a very informal and funny way. The young viewership perceived the informative stuff with the entertaining environment which is the key point of this incredible show. A considerable population has also suggested that other TV channel working in the country should also start infotainment programs on the analogy of Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz to disseminate awareness, knowledge and education by focusing the young population of the country. This step will surely enhance the educational level of general public particularly young and rural population of the country.

LIMITATION OF STUDY AND SUGGESTIONS
The present study was primarily focused to examine the impact of only one infotainment program aired on PTV viz: Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz, future studies may be expanded to gauge the impact of other infotainment programs aired on PTV on the youth education. Further, it is also suggested that future researches may be carried out by including other private channels operational in Pakistan. A comparative study may also be conducted to know and measure the implications of infotainment programs on the youth education in Pakistan.