ITV

Category: Terrestrial

  • ‘Humara Gaon Connection’ on DD National aims to bridge the rural-urban gap

    ‘Humara Gaon Connection’ on DD National aims to bridge the rural-urban gap

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has commenced a show to bridge the ever-increasing gap between rural and urban India to explore role models, innovations and innovators, and success stories from rural India.

               

    The show ‘Humara Gaon Connection’ has commenced telecast on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8.00 pm every week on DD National.

     

    The show is aimed to be the voice of the rural India to project the amazing transformation underway in the hinterland. There is rise in rural incomes which has had a cascading effect in the form of changing aspirations, educational standards, eating habits, entertainment, consumption habits, and in a larger sense, their worldview.

     

    Neelesh Mishra, better known for his popular radio talk show ‘Yaadon ka Idiotbox’ on Big FM, is anchoring the show. He is an award winning journalist, author and story teller.

    The show is inspired by the newspaper ’Gaon Connection’, touted as the India’s first rural newspaper. The show is conceptualised to break the stereotypes and myths propagated across the 600,000-plus villages and their residents.

  • ‘Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance’ on DD National to compete with reality dance shows on private GECs

    ‘Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance’ on DD National to compete with reality dance shows on private GECs

    NEW DELHI: In line with its recent announcement to revamp its afternoon and evening prime time viewing, Doordarshan is all set to compete with private general entertainment channels with special programmes lined up for this month.

     

    The new season of Bharat Ki Shaan rechristened as Close-up Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance commenced from 7 June and is aired every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm on DD National. That apart, a story on glamorous romance Aisa Prem Kahan, which went on air on 16 June, will be telecast from Monday to Friday at 1.30 pm.

     

    After the five implausible seasons of unparalleled success, this season of Close-up Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance has a new format and a new look attached to it. The show has managed to create a niche in the minds and memories of its viewers. With a new format this season, the show aims to continue its legacy. 

     

    Doordarshan has decided to cash in on the success of this popular reality show by amplifying its overall ‘glam quotient’. This time the format of the show is such where the dancers perform in pairs. However the pairs will be made on the show after watching their performances. The pairs will have one male and one female contender, one from the metro city and the other one from a non-metro city.

     

    The judges include choreographer Pony Verma, who has made many Bollywood actors dance to her beat and Sandip Soparrkar, the ace ballroom, salsa and contemporary specialist.

     

    Aparshakti Khurrana, popular RJ and host, has made his debut with Close-up Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance as the anchor of the show. He is witty and his gift of the gab makes him stand out from the league. The contestants will be under strict vigil and guidance of mentors Radhika Das and Tejas Dattani.

     

    The contestants are handpicked through auditions conducted across nation from different metro and non metro cities.  The contestants have come to Mumbai to showcase their talent and to make a mark in the industry.

     

    The story line of ‘Aisa Pyar Kahan’ captures the romance born out of mayhem of a Tsunami, set against the renaissance of Bengal. The over-riding element in the story comes wherein a storm over a waterway brings hurricane in the life of the programme characters: Ramesh, Kamla, Hemnalini, Shusheela and Dr Mahesh.

     

    The four characters’ life is hit by social and natural calamities, thereby leading to a tragedy pulling them towards an inescapable circumstances hurtling towards an apocalypse.

  • DD India broadcasts its game-changing show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon to over 50 countries

    DD India broadcasts its game-changing show Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon to over 50 countries

    MUMBAI: In a little over two months since the new serial Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon (I, a woman, can achieve anything) has been on air on Doordarshan National, the tremendous response it has received from the viewers has been overwhelming. In view of this response, Doordarshan has started telecasting the serial on DD India, reaching out to over 50 countries across the globe.

     

    Telecast on DD India every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10.30 am (IST), and on DD National every Saturday and Sunday at 7 pm, the success of Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon proves that woman power resonates strongly with India!

     

    Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon, Population Foundation of India’s (PFI) production, focuses on  sex selection, prevention of early marriage, domestic violence, women’s reproductive health and male sensitization. Aimed at bringing about a change in the attitudes and behaviours of the target audience, and especially increasing women’s freedom and self-empowerment, the serial has been endorsed by Sharmila Tagore and Soha Ali Khan.

     

    To further expand the reach of the serial, PFI has also launched the radio series of the show on All India Radio from May 24, 2014 at 10.05 am on FM Gold, 6 pm on FM Rainbow, 3 pm on Vividh Bharati and at 12.05 pm on all local stations.

     

    To fully leverage the potential of the series, PFI in partnership with Gramvaani, has launched an Integrated Voice Response System (IVRS), a call-back number where viewers can share their stories and participate in discussions. Since the series has been on air, 2,00,000 calls have been received and people have discussed their experiences, thoughts and suggestions. These recordings are available on the serial’s website – http://www.mkbksh.com/connect-with-us.html

      

    Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, PFI, said, “We are delighted to see the response which we have received through various mediums. With an aim to maximize reach, in addition to television and radio, the serial is being disseminated through multiple media, including  the internet and mobile phones. People are appreciating the story of a strong female protagonist in Dr Sneha and discussing the messages we are giving. Immense research has gone into developing the story of Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon and I am very glad that we have been successful in connecting with the audience.”

     

    “I thank Doordarshan for backing our initiative strongly and helping us reach a global audience.” added Ms. Muttreja.

     

    Feroz Abbas Khan, eminent theatre and film director and the creative force behind the serial said, “I have directed this serial with great passion as the cause is close to my heart and it is fantastic to see the serial being viewed by people across the globe. My team has gone all out to ensure that the serial resonates with the people. It motivates all of us immensely when we hear a girl from Kashmir say that she is encouraged by the character of Dr Sneha Mathur, wants to be a police officer, and says ‘main bhi sab kuch kar sakti hoon’!”

     

    The response to the serial is also reflected in the successful TRP it has been receiving. Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon reached the TRP of 2.0 within four weeks of its launch, which made it the forerunner among all new shows on Doordarshan. It also put DD in the third place among all entertainment channels in the given time slot. 

     

    Doordarshan has a rich history of supporting serials that have promoted a cause, such as Hum Log, Jasoos Vijay and more recently Kyunki Jeena Isi ka Naam Hai. These serials addressed social issues, including caste harmony, empowerment of women, HIV/AIDS in an entertaining format and their evaluations have shown a positive impact on individual behaviors. In fact, there is global evidence that entertainment education is one of the most successful ways of bringing about a positive change in the attitudes of people around difficult social norms. The highly popular Soul City in South Africa, which has guided Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon, is a case in point.

     

    Television is also the fastest growing medium and statistics reveal that over the last 15 years the reach of television in India has increased by 13%. This, coupled with the penetration of Doordarshan makes Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon potentially the greatest game changing media show in India at present.

  • ‘Mann Ki Baat’ back on DD on public demand

    ‘Mann Ki Baat’ back on DD on public demand

    NEW DELHI: Mann Ki Baat, Doordarshan’s television series on mental health issues presented by psychiatrists Avdhesh Sharma and Sujatha Sharma, will be back on public demand, 17 June onwards.

     

    The series – which has earlier been telecast on DD National, DD Bharati and DD India – will now be aired every Tuesday and Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. on DD 1. 

     

    Issues related to mental health, psychosocial issues, stress related problems, emotional and behavioral disorders in the various age groups as well as issues related to positive mental health and well-being will be the focus of the series, comprising 78 episodes.  Each episode focuses on a specific topic with emphasis on understanding and seeking solutions for the problem concerned.

     

    It has been found that about 25 per cent of the Indian population suffers from psychological distress/illness in their lifetime while countless others have sub clinical problems. It has also been found that humans do not use even 5 per cent of their potential powers of the mind, which can always be improved. Caring for the mind is a major responsibility and it is crucial and important to recognise early signs of psychological distress and address them immediately through self-help or seeking outside help so that it does not become a mental illness.

     

    Mann Ki Baat was born out of the need to create a platform for awareness on mental health issues – both the ordinary ones that affect our daily lives and the not so ordinary issues like mental illnesses that may not directly affect us but someone we know or care for. 

     

    The series focuses on issues related to the mind and mental health of individuals and the society at large. The program is essentially a studio based discussion between the anchor and the experts in the field with inputs in the form of comments from general public, case studies as well as experts from different related professions. 

     

    The content for the series has been developed by Sujatha D. Sharma, a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience who has also scripted several other television documentaries on mental health in the past. Avdhesh Sharma, a well known psychiatrist is the director and expert anchor of the series. Avdhesh has anchored and directed numerous health programs for the electronic media for over 30 years. Kanupriya, a well known media personality for nearly two decades, is the anchor of the present series.

     

    The series deals with psychosocial issues spanning all ages, from mental stress in children and adolescents to marital problems of the elderly.  It also deals with common psychological problems like depression, anxiety, suicide, sleep and eating disorders, alcohol abuse, myths and stigma about mental illness etc.  There is a focus on self growth such as enhancing emotional intelligence, positive emotions and controlling negative ones.

  • DD launches another show to strengthen its afternoon slot

    DD launches another show to strengthen its afternoon slot

    NEW DELHI: Pubcaster Doordarshan is going all out to strengthen its content offering to its viewers. And in keeping with that, the channel will launch a new series ‘Aisa Prem Kahan’ starting 16 June. The series captures the unique story of a romance born out of the mayhem of the tsunami set against the renaissance of Bengal.

     

    The series will telecast from Monday to Friday at 1.30 pm on DD National.

     

    The over-riding element in the story comes when a storm over a waterway brings hurricane in the life of four characters: Ramesh, Kamla, Hemnalini, Shusheela and Dr Mahesh.

     

    The story shows how the four characters are hit by social and natural calamities, thereby leading to a tragedy pulling them towards inescapable circumstances hurtling towards an apocalypse.

     

    This ‘edgy-romantic’ tale weaves a complex saga of mistaken identity. It is the story of deep faith and undying love of Ramesh and Hem Nalini tested to the limit by an almost unimaginable twist of fate. Its charm lies in the lingering aftertaste of the “enduring pleasure in pain”. 

  • DD’s competitive game plan

    DD’s competitive game plan

    MUMBAI: “It is my dream to make Doordarshan a success story,” said Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar at the recently concluded GoaFest.

     

    Indeed, what was once the only television channel and earned nearly 100 per cent revenue because of its monopoly has over the years become an ‘also-ran’, thanks to the satellite and cable TV explosion.

     

    DD recently undertook several new initiatives in a bid to reclaim its place under the sun. Just last month, the government-owned channel launched a dedicated slot for afternoon shows called ‘DD Dopahar… Aapke Ghar’ where between 12pm and 3pm, serials produced and directed by biggies from the television and film fraternity including Harry Baweja, Karan Razdan, Paintal, Sudhir Pandey and Maninee Dey are aired.

     

    Earlier this month, DD revamped its prime time evening viewing with five new shows namely Nadiyaan Gaati Hain, Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance, Earth Matters, Gaon Connection and Yatra. What’s more, in the coming months, the channel plans to re-brand itself with a view to better connect with its audiences. “Yes, we will re-brand DD National soon. It is on the cards and we are expecting it to happen by the end of the year,” confirmed Doordarshan directorate general CK Jain.

     

    The channel which holds the seventh position after general entertainment channel Sab, clocked 131 million GVTs in the week 23 of TAM TV ratings.

     

    According to Jain, it’s the right time for such a move, considering advertisers’ response has also been good. “For DD National, the advertisers’ response has been reasonably good, considering the fact that we still have the largest reach across the country. Our strength was towards terrestrial earlier. Our reach has been shrinking over a period of time. We are aware of that and we are trying our best to ensure that the viewership increases in C&S markets also. We are trying to enhance our viewership in these markets by upgrading the content,” he said. “We are trying to upgrade our prime time now with fresh content, but of course, we can’t compare ourselves with the big players.”

     

    An industry source opined that unlike GECs like Star Plus and Zee which are able to pump in huge monies on content, DD cannot afford to do so. “This is slightly a disadvantage of being a government body, where you have to follow certain procedures to acquire content,” the source said, stressing that DD would not spend more than Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore on new content.

     

    “The major part of expenditure goes towards infrastructure which takes away more than half their budget. If you really talk of today, terrestrial is very costly. This worries the management as they are unable to invest more money on content which is required. The management is trying to find solutions for it.”

     

    Meanwhile, a media planner expressed the view that while re-branding would definitely help DD get more viewers on-board, it would not help the channel compete with the big players. “If they are re-branding, the channel must have good reasons to do so. It will do well for the channel, but if they wish to compete with big players in the market like Star or Zee, they should be willing to spend some money on the content to reach that level,” he concluded.

  • Vikram Gokhale to direct a serial “Ratra Vanvyachi” for DD Sahyadri Channel

    Vikram Gokhale to direct a serial “Ratra Vanvyachi” for DD Sahyadri Channel

    MUMBAI: “Ratra Vanvyachi” – (Night of the Forest Fire) is a new semi -fictional series produced by Doordarshan Sahyadri Channel based on the novel written by Smt. Neela Satyanarayan, the first Woman State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Maharashtra.

     

    The entire series revolves around a female protagonist struggling to be a perfect fit in this male dominated system of governance. It takes you through the journey of a woman who through her honest and upright conduct establishes an impartial and strong image vis-?-vis to her male counterpart. The story unfolds the various career experiences of woman and how skillfully she triumphs over all the problems in day to day life at her home and at work place. The female lead character is portrayed by Actress, Kancha Jadhav.

     

    “The most important and interesting aspect of this series will be Shri. Vikram Gokhale, the legendary actor and theatre personality who has accepted to direct this show which is a great honor and USP of this show” – quoted by Shri. Mukesh Sharma, Addl. DG – Doordrashan.

     

    Director, Vikram Gokhale envisioned this women centric series as an eye opener in a male dominated society as this society claims to be a thinker’s society. He said “The reason to be a part of this series is to expose the so called rational society which has different set of laws while it comes to the liberty of a woman especially when it comes to Power Game in the existing political scenario of our country”

     

    The writer, Smt. Neela Satyanaryan is herself a distinguished personality and a live example of courage and honor. She is a multi-faceted personality with interest in music and literature. In the past, she has held important assignments and also headed several departments in Maharashtra recalls breaking the glass ceiling. She strongly believes that “A Women Administrator can always bring a difference in the administration through her compassion and understanding – She is the Human Face of administration”

     

    Shri Mukesh Sharma mentioned that “this series will also be dubbed in to other languages for telecast as it has a strong message and appeal which has to be widespread. The entire series will be shot in the Pune City and the first schedule of this shoot will be commencing from 10th June.”

     

    Doordarshan justifies its role as a National Broadcaster by producing this series specially designed for “Women Empowerment” and truly believes that this show will change the perception of the people and enlarge the vision of our current political and government functioning system.

  • DD revamps prime time viewing with five new shows

    DD revamps prime time viewing with five new shows

    NEW DELHI: After having revamped its afternoon programming leading to a spurt in viewership, Doordarshan National is now all set to give a new look to its prime time programming.

     

    The new programmes, Nadiyaan Gaati Hain, Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance, Earth Matters, Gaon Connection and Yatra will start from 6 June. Through this the channel aims to connect with its audience yet again, with fresh content which is full of entertainment and information.

     

     Nadiyaan Gaati Hain is to commence telecast every Friday starting today at 7.00 pm. It is a one-of-a-kind travelogue documentary series on rivers that explores the historical, cultural and social journey of these rivers. Produced by Anupama Productions, this 13-part series delves deep into the realms of history, mythology and culture to bring out gems of unique information about the six significant rivers of Madhya Pradesh- Narmada, Betwa, Shipra, Tapti, Chambal and Sone.

     

    After five fantastic seasons of unparalleled success of music and dance reality shows, Bharat Ki Shaan: Let’s Dance air every Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 pm. This season has a new look and the new format creates an edge over the monotonous dancing reality shows. Judged by ace choreographers Pony Verma and Sandip Soparrkar, the show is aimed at the young aspirants and the young-at-heart viewers.

     

     World renowned environment filmmaker Mike Pandey’s Earth Matters returns with season four from 8 June, every Sunday at 10:30 am. While the series has been running without a break, the last few weeks saw DD repeating older programmes. Directed and produced by Pandey, Earth Matters take a hard look at the state of the environment; the diminishing natural resources, the fast disappearing forest cover, the endangered wildlife, urban pollution and the pressures on rural India.

     

     Like the previous seasons, the 26-episode series commencing on Sunday is not just a doom and gloom series it provides solutions and remedial action that each individual can take at his own level.

     

     Shot this time in HD format, the series have already won accolades internationally. It has also led to the creation of Earth Matters Clubs all over the country with young people, particularly in rural or semi-urban areas working to put into action the xuggestions given in the programme to improve the ecology and fight climate change.

     

    Gaon Connection will go on air from 9 June, every Monday and Tuesday at 8:00 pm to meet the unmet hunger for information in rural India and to inform urban India about the transformation underway in the hinterland. The idea is to build a bridge with quality content through a connection with rural India where DD already has a strong hold on viewership.

     

     Yatra commencing from 11 June every Wednesday at 8:00 pm is a travel show. It is a religious travel guide which focuses on a spiritual journey around Indian temples. The show enlightens the viewer and takes him for a mesmerizing journey of these havens of peace.

  • DD to telecast a rare tale of Indian compassion for Europeans during World War II

    DD to telecast a rare tale of Indian compassion for Europeans during World War II

    NEW DELHI: ‘A Little Poland in India’ a poignant story of around one thousand orphaned children from Poland who found a sanctuary in India at the height of Nazi German Dictator Hitler’s atrocities in Poland, is to be telecast by Doordarshan later this week in Hindi.

     

    The film, which was telecast in English in November last year, will now be aired in Hindi on 4 June, 9.30 am onwards on DD National.

     

    The hour-long documentary is the true and captivating story of the then Jam Saheb (Ruler) Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar, nephew of famous Indian cricketer Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji of the Jadeja clan,a princely state in the Kathiawar Peninsula, off the land of Gujarat. It is the heart-warming story of an enriched historical bond between India and Poland. It is a story that represents people-to people contact in its most humane form, beyond borders and across continents.

     

    During World War II, about 1000 Polish children from war-torn, occupied Poland and Soviet prison camps in Stalin’s Siberia, travelled all the way to India, where Jam Saheb took personal risks to make arrangements at a time when the world was at war and India was struggling for its Independence. He built a camp for them in a place called Balachadi beside his summer palace, 25 km from his capital city Jamnagar, and made them feel at home.

     

    This is the first film that has been co-produced between the governments of India and Poland under the Audio-Visual agreement between both countries. The co-producers are Doordarshan and the Gujarat Government in India, and the National Audiovisual Institute and TVP (Telewizja Polska) in Poland.

     

    Directed by Anuradha and Sumit Osmand Shaw with research by Anuradha herself, the film took the help of historian Andrzej Krzysztof Kunert, secretary general of the council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites. The research coordinators were Kresy-Siberia Foundation and a Balachadi survivor Wieslaw Stypula.  

     

    The film contains interviews with several survivors, including two children who met in Balachadi but married 78 years later in Poland.

     

    The venture was supported by the Embassy of India in Warsaw, the Embassy of Poland in India, and the Polish Institute, New Delhi.

  • Doordarshan EPG to be carried by all DTH platforms and DD Direct Plus

    Doordarshan EPG to be carried by all DTH platforms and DD Direct Plus

    NEW DELHI: Though it was one of the first channels to go on to the direct-to-home platforms, Doordarshan has finally ensured that the private DTH operators carry its electronic programming guide.

     

    For this purpose, Doordarshan has entered into a deal with NDTV and What’s on India Media.

     

    A DD source told indiantelevision.com that NDTV will manage the EPG of all 21 DD channels and deliver it to all multi-system operators and DTH operators of the country.

     

    Servicing, aggregating EPGs of all the channels of DD Direct Plus and delivering it to DTH Direct Plus platform in compatible format will be handled by What’s on India.

     

    The source said that some of the DTH operators had already commenced the EPG guide while others will commence shortly.

     

    This move is expected to increase viewership of Doordarshan, who unlike private TV channels do not always run the same series at the same times on all days of the week. DD has some series which runs on only one or two days a week and others running daily on week days, and this often leads to confusion among viewers.

     

    The source therefore said this was bound to bring the viewer closer to the channel.

     

    EPG would provide Doordarshan viewers with continuously updated menus, displaying broadcast programming or scheduling information for current and upcoming programming.