NEW DELHI: Indian radio pubcaster, All India Radio (AIR), mopped a record net revenue of Rs. 113.26 crore in the year 2002-03 and has kept a target of Rs. 126 crore (Rs. 1.26 billion) for the current financial year.
In order to achieve the target, AIR is making an all-out effort by contacting various government ministries/departments and big private clients. A number of media plans have also been submitted to various departments, which are in the pipeline, information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today informed the parliamentarians who are members of the Consultative Committee attached to the ministry.
According to Prasad, AIR would completely digitalise the archives by the year-end. The archives are rich with the priceless and rare recordings of maestros like Fyaz Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, legendary poets like Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Josh Malihabadi, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Shakeel Badayuni and many others. It also has voice recordings of leaders of the freedom movement beginning from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and others.
The minister said that news is a major unique selling proposition (USP) of AIR, which disseminates news and comments to listeners in India and abroad. From just six stations in 1947, AIR has grown to a network having more than 200 broadcasting centres. News Services Division puts out 360 (except non-daily news bulletins) news bulletins daily from Delhi and its 45 Regional News Units.
Out of these, 84 news bulletins are broadcast on the home services from Delhi, while Regional News Units put out 218 news bulletins daily in 66 languages/dialects, including bulletins broadcast on FM-I and FM-II. In the External Services, AIR broadcasts 65 news bulletins in 26 languages, including Indian and foreign.
Prasad accepted suggestions from the members that included special programmes for dacoit infested areas of Mainpuri and Bhind in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, respectively; inclusion of regional newspapers while compiling major news stories covered; steps against music piracy; effective measures to counter propaganda from across the border; more rural oriented programmes; consideration of revision of remuneration of artist/writers; more programmes to check crimes and drug use; resumption of concerts for invited audiences and exclusive channels for classical music.
Other suggestions included filling up of vacancies in regional stations, especially in the North East and Jammu &Kashmir, setting up of radio clubs and concerted efforts to increase AIR revenue. The Members of Parliament who were present during the meeting included Balram Singh Yadav, Hannan Mollah, E. M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Abdul Rashid Shaheen, Balkavi Bairagi, Vijay J. Darda, Ajay Maroo, Lalhmingliana, Dr. Ramanaidu Daggubati and Shabana Azmi.
Tag: Abdul Rashid Shaheen
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AIR targets Rs. 1.26 bn revenue for financial year
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Doordarshan’s DTH plan to cost Rs 6,380 million
NEW DELHI: Information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today told policy makers that pubcaster Doordarshan was opting for a KU-band DTH scheme at an estimated cost of Rs 6,380 million as terrestrial expansion to cover the whole population would have been much more costly, something that was first reported by indiantelevision.com some days back.
India’s pubcaster Doordarshan is setting up a KU Band transmission project at a cost of Rs 6,380 million to cover the remaining 10 per cent of population, which at present is unable to get DD transmission due to the lack of reach of the terrestrial system.
To begin with, the project would have 20 channels uplinked from Delhi. In a years time this is likely to be extended to 60 channels. All the channels would be free to air, according to Prasad, who was briefing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry about the latest developments in the media.
According to Prasad 200,000 homes in rural, remote, inaccessible mountaineous regions and border areas would be covered by DD by providing cable head ends and set top boxes. He said, the KU band transmission will be the most cost effective option for extending coverage to the uncovered areas.
As compared to Rs 6,380 million on KU band project, the coverage through the terrestrial method would have required capital investment of Rs 34,560 million and recurring expenditure of Rs 5,190 million annually. Doordarshan is hiring 4 satellite transponders for the purpose, he said.
Prasad informed members that apart from the KU band extension, DD is extending coverage to 160 uncovered villages in the eight states of the North-East by establishing cable head ends. The headends are set up by Doordarshan to downlink the TV signals in the village. The cabling from headends to the households is also done by DD.
While DD bears the entire cost, the system is handed over to the local panchayats for its day-to-day running and maintenance with the technical assistance from DD staff. Prasad said the system has been operationalized in 44 villages and the work is nearing completion in another 43 villages. The target is to cover 16,000 households at a cost of Rs 7,150 million.
Those who attended the parliamentray panel meet included Balram Singh Yadav, Abdul Rashid Shaheen, Gandhi Azad, Balkavi Bairagi, Vijay J Darda, Kartar Singh Duggal, Ajay Maroo, Lalhmingliana, Dr Ramanaidu Daggubati and Shabana Azmi.