Data on Pakistan Govt TV Ad expenditure from 2013 to 2022

Each year, the Pakistani government spends certain funds on advertising. This includes advertisements across television, newspapers, and, more recently, digital media. This spending is in the form of a direct transfer from the federal government to various media houses—both private and public—constituting a significant revenue stream for these channels. Despite its substantial impact on political discourse in Pakistan, the details of this spending have largely remained absent from public debate. The question is: How significant is this influence, and how much have successive governments spent on media advertising?

RTI documents shed light on federal government advertising patterns on television, revealing a relationship between the state and the media that often escapes public scrutiny.

How Much is the Pakistani Government Spending on Advertisements?

Between 2013 and 2022, the federal government spent PKR 8.7 billion on television advertisements—averaging nearly PKR 1 billion per year.

A deeper examination of the numbers suggests that government advertising is not just about public service announcements; it is a tool to support particular industries and, more importantly, specific players within them. This pattern extends beyond media, affecting sectors like agriculture, energy, and real estate. Rather than being motivated by public welfare, these expenditures are often driven by political interests, channelling taxpayer money toward entities that serve those in power. In the case of media, this financial influence distorts public discourse and undermines democracy, creating a cycle where state funding shapes narratives in ways that ultimately harm the country.

Just a glance at the chart above shows what has happened: Media advertisements were excessive and unrestrained during the PML-N government between FY2013-FY2018. However, there was a big squeeze in media advertisements as PTI came into power – from 2018 onwards.

A closer look at the data, particularly during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, reveals a shift in spending patterns that had significant consequences. The PTI government adopted a restrictive approach, cutting back on advertising spending—a move that deeply impacted media houses accustomed to state funding. This, it feels, was a major factor in PTI’s ‘unpopularity’ among influential media owners and anchors.

From 2013 to 2018, major television networks like Geo and Dunya consistently received around PKR 100 million annually in government advertising revenue. In contrast, ARY, a channel with comparable ratings but a more critical stance toward the then-government (PML-N government), received less than 30% of that amount. This disparity was not coincidental; it reflected a deliberate strategy.

How Government Advertising Works

The federal government operates a centralized system for allocating advertising funds to television, print, and digital media, including social media platforms. Managed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this system determines where public service messages, official announcements, and political messages appear. However, the formula used to distribute these funds has never been publicly disclosed.

Through this opaque mechanism, the government rewards the media outlets that align with their narratives while marginalizing those that are critical.
When PTI came into power, it sought to reform this practice by cutting overall ad spending and reducing per-minute advertising rates across all media outlets. Then-Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took an unprecedented step by publicly releasing ad rate lists and significantly lowering payments to media houses.

These changes triggered a backlash from media organisations heavily reliant on government advertisements. The reduction in funding led to financial strain, resulting in widespread layoffs and accusations of censorship. Many media outlets and private TV channels framed this shift as a “crackdown” on press freedom when in reality, the crisis stemmed from their financial dependence on state advertising.

From a political perspective, this proved costly for PTI. By cutting off a major revenue source for media companies, the party alienated influential figures in the industry, ultimately fueling a more hostile news environment. However, the policy did achieve its intended financial outcome—saving the government approximately PKR 3 billion, which was redirected toward initiatives like social protection and healthcare.

When these payments slowed down, media criticism of the PTI government intensified, with many outlets portraying financial constraints as a result of political repression rather than an ad budget cut. In reality, government advertising serves as a form of influence, allowing those in power to shape narratives by financially sustaining compliant media houses. Ideally, the state should not be in the business of funding private media at all. There are numerous ways for the government to communicate with the public without relying on taxpayer money to secure airtime. The current system amounts to legal bribery, where media organizations benefit from public funds in exchange for favourable coverage.

Between 2013 and 2022, Geo TV topped the list of ad recipients, receiving PKR 832 million, followed by Dunya (PKR 781 million) and Express News (PKR 709 million).
It is important to note that these figures do not account for government spending on print and digital advertisements, which also run into the billions.

The Future of State Media Spending

The reliance on government advertising has stunted the growth of Pakistan’s media industry, making it dependent on state funding rather than sustainable business models. This became evident when PTI reduced ad spending, exposing the financial fragility of many private media houses and news outlets.

Although the PTI government took steps to curtail this practice, it did not go far enough in eliminating it entirely. Now, with the return of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the federal government, and with PML-N government in Punjab as well (led by Maryam Nawaz) through blatant electoral rigging and fraud, government ad spending is once again on the rise.

The long-standing issue of state-funded media subsidies remains unresolved. Until meaningful reforms are introduced, successive governments will continue to use taxpayer money to shape public discourse, reinforcing a cycle where the media’s financial survival is tethered to political favour.