Islamabad. Journalist is waiting for the press conference. The press played a major role in mobilising support for Pakistan in the 1940s, but after Independence it came under heavy scrutiny and regulation. The government controlled the press for many years, raising concerns among audiences about bias; many people tuned into the BBC for reliable news. The situation changed during the 1990s - a number of new magazines and newspapers were given permission to operate by the governments and independent television channels slowly started up. Governmental control has not totally disappeared; for instance, it retains the right to revoke a licence.