‘Recently, while going through my old hard disk and trying to delete some obsolete files, I stumbled upon a programme titled “JK Bank Diary.” For a moment, I was transported back in time. This was a programme that I had initially coordinated, written and presented for a long period of time and then it was taken over by Sajjad Bazaaz who wrote and produced it on behalf of the bank. It was conceived with a clear and meaningful purpose, to promote financial literacy among the people and make them aware of banking services and financial matters in a simple, accessible and engaging manner.

Listening to those old recordings after so many years was an unexpectedly emotional experience. I was amazed at the amount of effort, thought and professionalism that had gone into producing the programme. Every aspect, from the content and research to the scripting, presentation and production, reflected a serious commitment to quality. It was not merely a sponsored programme; it was a carefully crafted broadcast product that had a purpose and a certain standard.

Out of curiosity, I immediately wondered whether JK Bank Diary was still being broadcast. I searched the internet and, to my immense happiness, found that the programme was indeed available online. I was genuinely excited. I thought that perhaps the programme had survived the passage of time and had continued to evolve with changing technology and the changing needs of the audience.

But what followed was nothing short of a profound shock and deep dismay.When I listened to the present version of the programme, I could hardly believe that I was listening to the same JK Bank Diary. The content, the quality, the scripting and the presentation were, to put it mildly, atrocious. The difference between the programme I remembered and what I heard today was painfully stark.

It made me wonder: How could a programme that was once produced with such care, professionalism and purpose be allowed to deteriorate to this extent?But being a sponsored programme it is now being independently produced by the bank itself. A programme is ultimately a reflection of the institution that produces it. When standards decline, when professional expertise is ignored, when content is treated casually and when presentation is reduced to a mere formality, even the most meaningful programmes inevitably lose their soul.

I do not claim that the programmes of the past were flawless. But there was certainly an earnestness, a sense of responsibility and a professional pride in what we produced. We believed that broadcasting was not simply about filling airtime. It was about communicating with people, informing them, educating them and, above all, respecting the intelligence of the listener. JK Bank Diary was born out of that philosophy. Some of the brilliant voices Roshan Khayal, Ruhi Sulatana, Sakina Rather and many others were associated with it.

To hear it today in such a diminished form is therefore not merely disappointing for me personally. It is deeply saddening to witness........

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