ITV

Tag: AIR

  • MIB amends order; DD News DG to report to Prasar Bharati

    MIB amends order; DD News DG to report to Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: In partial modification of its earlier order, the Government said today that Veena Jain, who has been asked to take over as director general (News) in Doordarshan, will report to Prasar Bharati “for all operational purposes.”

     

    As was reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the order issued on 29 May had said that the 1984 Indian Information Service officer who will also hold charge as Officer on Special Duty for New Media Wing and Social Media Cell “will report to the Ministry for all purposes.”

     

    A modification posted on the website of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) now says that she will report to the Ministry only in her capacity as OSD. Jain was until now posted as additional director general in the News Services Division of All India Radio.

     

    The announcement had led to a furore in the pubcaster and the media, which alleged that the Government was taking over DD News.

     

    A Ministry official told Indiantelevision.com that it was merely a typographical error and there should be no attempt to read meanings into this.

     

    However, a Prasar Bharati source had told this correspondent last week that DD News had always been under the control of the Ministry as all its officials were appointed by the Ministry without consulting the pubcaster Board or CEO.

     

    In fact, the order of the Ministry was not even marked as a copy to PrasarBharati CEO Jawhar Sircar.

     

    All India Radio has 45 news units while DD has 30 news units around the country, and all are headed by Indian Information Service officers posted by the Ministry.

     

    While pointing out that Prasar Bharati had never been consulted on these postings, Senior Prasar Bharati Advisor Brig. V A M Hussain told this website that Section 11(A)(2) of the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 was clear that the Ministry was to prescribe the terms and conditions of service in the pubcaster of officers and employees of the Indian Information Service, the Central Secretariat Service or any other service borne on any cadre outside Akashvani or Doordarshan. However, he said this had never been done.

     

    Under the Act, Prasar Bharati was made into an autonomous organization.

     

    Answering a question, he said DD has 24 channels and DD News is the only one where the Indian Information Service officers who are directly answerable to the Ministry is posted without any consultation with the pubcaster.

  • Less than half of Group A sanctioned posts filled in AIR & DD

    Less than half of Group A sanctioned posts filled in AIR & DD

    NEW DELHI: Even as it has stressed the need for manpower audit in view of technological upgradation, statistics show that only 30,093 of the 46,756 sanctioned posts have been filled in the cash-strapped Prasar Bharati.

     

    Of the total, the filled posts in All India Radio (AIR) are 15,538 out of the sanctioned 26,129, while 14,555 posts have been filled out of the 20,627 sanctioned posts in Doordarshan (DD).

     

    In Group A, AIR has filled just 719 of the 2002 posts and DD has filled just 517 of the 1083 sanctioned strength.

     

    After rigorous exercise, the Government had identified 3452 posts as essential category posts for filling up in Prasar Bharati. Out of these, 3067 posts were identified by Government as essential category of posts in Prasar Bharati to be filled up through direct recruitment have been revived.

     

    A special onetime dispensation was obtained to recruit these through Staff Selection Commission.

     

    Prasar Bharati sources say Staff Selection Commission has already recommended 2367 candidates for appointment. Prasar Bharati is in the process of issue of appointment orders.

     

    In addition, 38 middle and senior level programme posts have been revived for filling up on deputation basis.

  • Parliamentary Committee pushes for DD Kisan launch during current fiscal

    Parliamentary Committee pushes for DD Kisan launch during current fiscal

    NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Committee has said that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry (MIB) should complete all remaining infrastructural and studio up-gradation work for Doordarshan’s Kisan Channel scheme during the current fiscal itself. The Committee also asked MIB to judiciously spend the Rs 35 crore, which has been earmarked for content.

     

    The Standing Committee on Information Technology, which also examines issues relating to MIB urged the Ministry and Prasar Bharati to focus on areas of advancement of the channel by generation of rich content and ensure active participation of experts in the field of agriculture and agronomy so that the dedicated Kisan Channel proves to be an advancement over the Krishi Darshan Programmes and that the farmers benefit out of it.

     

    The Committee noted that the Scheme of Kisan Channel had been approved during the year 2014-15 with an initial allocation of Rs 100 crore: Rs 90 crore for Doordarshan and Rs 10 crore for All India Radio (AIR).

     

    A Ministry source told Indiantelevision.com that the allocation to AIR was for content generation for the DD Kisan TV channel.

     

    However, the Committee said that the budget estimates allocation was reduced to Rs 26 crore at the revised estimates stage, which was utilized fully during the year 2014-15.

     

    The Ministry informed the Committee that the BE allocation for the Scheme was reduced owing to factors such as gestation period involved in carrying out research for writing script authenticated by Agricultural Scientists and experts preparing rich content.

     

    The Committee stressed the significance of a channel like this in an agrarian country like India where issues like dissemination of real time information on farming techniques, water conservation, organic farming, etc. hold crucial importance to the farmers.

     

    With regard to the targets, the Committee noted that earmarking of a dedicated studio had been made; 51 professionals had joined the channel against 67 posts advertised; and efforts had been made to impart training and orientation of manpower working in Kisan Channel from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). Integrated automated play out system for the channel had been installed and apart from procurement of equipment, the Direct-to-home facility had been upgraded.

     

    During the year 2015-16, the Ministry proposes to spend Rs 10 crore on infrastructure development and Rs 35 crore on generating content for the channel.

     

  • Kisan channel launch postponed yet again, trial runs on

    Kisan channel launch postponed yet again, trial runs on

    NEW DELHI: Kisan TV, which was earlier slated to launch on Baisakhi Day (14 April), has been postponed to May. This is not the first time that the launch date of the 24-hour channel, devoted to farmers and rural India, has been pushed forward. The channel, which will be run by Doordarshan, was initially slated for launch in Makar Sankarti Day on 14 January.

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said that the delay had been caused as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not in the country, though DD sources had earlier informed Indiantelevision.com that the channel may be launched on 21 April.

    Jaitley said the preparations for the launch of the channel were at an advanced stage and that the trial runs were on.

    A budget of Rs 100 crore had been set aside in July last year in the Budget but a sum of Rs 90 crore had been allocated for this in 2015-16.

    Jaitley was speaking after inaugurating Delhi’s Vividh Bharati channel of All India Radio (AIR) on FM Mode.

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, which also examines issues linked to I&B Ministry said in a recent report that emphasis should be laid on local dialect on regional basis so that farmers all across the country are able to access the channel in their local language/dialect, thereby getting benefited by this laudable initiative of the Government.

  • Prasar Bharati looks to exploit archived music on digital platform

    Prasar Bharati looks to exploit archived music on digital platform

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati is looking at different ways to exploit music in its vast archives by taking it online.

     

    Speaking exclusively to Indiantelevision.com, Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar said that Prasar Bharati was examining how music available in the archives of All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) could be exploited by putting it on the digital platform.

     

    Sircar informed that DD alone had over 200,000 hours of recordings in its archives. Of this, 4,000 hours was ready to be published and another 20,000 had been digitally restored.

     

    Additionally, he said that the pubcaster was also considering a proposal to provide a scroll free-of-charge to cultural organizations to announce their forthcoming programmes on DD Bharati.

     

    On a separate note, Prasar Bharati has also instructed the news wings of both AIR and DD to cover all important events simultaneously and then share the inputs. Sircar said that the instruction had first been given over a year ago and admitted that there were still cases where this was not being done. He said that the directive included events like lectures or lecture demonstrations, biographical works, and the best performances of any artiste.

     

    Responding to another query, Sircar said that short wave radio had to be kept alive for diplomatic reasons but the medium wave was gradually being moved to FM so that all 850 million mobile users in the country will get access to this. Vividh Bharati had already been put on FM. 

  • AIR, DD modernisation progress unsatisfactory: Parliamentary Committee

    AIR, DD modernisation progress unsatisfactory: Parliamentary Committee

    NEW DELHI: Noting that it is ‘very crucial to rejuvenate and revitalize Prasar Bharati by improving its efficiency, effectiveness and quality of broadcasting through complete digitization;’ a Parliamentary Committee has said that the performance in this regard during the Eleventh Plan was ‘unsatisfactory’.

     

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, which also examines Information and Broadcasting, in a recent report recommended that earnest efforts must be made to see that all the planned schemes for modernization of All India Radio and Doordarshan are implemented during the Twelfth Plan period.

     

    It noted that one of the focal points of successive reports of the Committee have been the modernization of AIR and DD. The Committee noted that for the Twelfth Plan period, the Government allocated Rs 2252 crore for AIR for modernisation and expansion of its infrastructure, which includes Rs 1020 crore for the new schemes under the Twelfth Plan and Rs 1232 crore for the continuing schemes of the Tenth and Eleventh Plans. 

     

    In regard to the modernisation of Doordarshan, the Committee was informed that it is a continuous process and various schemes for modernisation are formulated and implemented from time to time. At present, the schemes, which are under implementation include Digitalization of Transmitters and Studios in Doordarshan Network, High Definition Television (HDTV), Modernization, Augmentation and Replacement of Transmitter and Studio equipment, Modernisation, Augmentation and Replacement of Satellite Broadcast equipment and DTH Service, etc. 

     

    The Committee recommended that the remaining works related to digitisation of Medium Wave (MW) and Short Wave (SW) Transmitters, studios and digitisation of connectivity are completed within the time limits prescribed under the Twelfth Plan. 

     

    The Committee took ‘serious note of the fact that for complete digitisation of AIR networks and 100 per cent coverage by FM signal, inadequate funds were allocated during the Eleventh Plan and even during the Twelfth Plan, the requisite requirement of Rs 4179 crore allocation has not been met and as a result, the digitization plan has been shifted further and is expected to be completed only by December 2018.

     

    The Committee noted that both AIR and DD as national broadcasters are playing a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the country because of their extensive reach across the masses, particularly in the rural and far flung areas of the country. 

  • FM advertisement revenue up by Rs 216 crore in 2013-2014: TRAI

    FM advertisement revenue up by Rs 216 crore in 2013-2014: TRAI

    MUMBAI: Radio is not just an affordable means for mass communication but is also very popular, thanks to its wide coverage, terminal portability, low set up costs and affordability.

     

    The medium is seeing a strong growth of advertisement revenue according to TRAI’s annual report for the year 2013-14. From Rs 1191 crore in 2012-2013 it rose to Rs 1407 crore in 2013-2014, up by Rs 216 crore. Not only this, the medium has been growing at a steady pace since 2008-09. From Rs 539 crore in 2008-09, it rose further by Rs 717 crore, Rs 1017 crore, and Rs 1078 crore for 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively.

     

    India has definitely seen a spurt in the number of private FM radio stations. But the number has been stagnant for the year’s 2013 and 2014 with 242 private FM radio stations. In 2008 there were a total of 210 private FM radio stations. This increased to 241 in 2009 and went up by 245 in 2010 and continued till 2012. The number dropped to 242 in 2013 and has been still till 2014.  Besides the 242 private FM radio stations operational as of March 2014, there is also the public service broadcaster- All India Radio (AIR) having a network of 277 stations and 432 broadcast transmitters (148 are MW, 236 FM and 48 SW). In India FM Radio broadcasting, due to its versatility, is considered as the main medium to provide entertainment, information and education within the radio sector.

     

    With a view to further expand the spread of FM services to other cities particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, North Eastern states and island territories and to address certain other issues, the government on 25 July 2011 issued consolidated policy guidelines on phase III of expansion of FM radio broadcasting through private agencies. “The phase III is intended to extend FM radio’s reach to 294 cities with additional 839 FM radio stations thereby boosting the regional growth of FM radio stations. It is expected that post phase III, FM radio will cover around 85 per cent of the territory of the country,” states the report.

     

    The scheme to rope in private broadcasters for FM radio has significantly contributed to enhance the coverage and provide good quality of reception to radio listeners. This has also encouraged local talent and generated employment opportunities in various cities.

     

    The radio sector in the country witnessed another expansion with the opening up of Community Radio Stations (CRS). The annual report highlights that there is a huge    potential    in   India   for establishment of CRS given the vast landscape of this country, numerous languages, various cultures and diverse social stratification.

     

    Community Radio is known to serve the purpose of networking of small communities with an objective to focus on the common man’s day-to-day concerns and help them realize local aspirations. As on March 2014, out of the 194 licenses issued for the setting up of community radio stations, 161 community radio stations have become operational. 

  • AIR and DD channels to simulcast PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’

    AIR and DD channels to simulcast PM’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’

    NEW DELHI: This month’s Mann Ki Baat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on All India Radio (AIR), addressed to farmers and rural India, will be broadcast at 11 am on 22 March.

     

    It will also be simultaneously broadcast live on Doordarshan (DD) channels. The address can also be heard on Vividh Bharati, FM Gold, and FM Rainbow radio. The programme will also be live-streamed on the Prime Minister’s official website.

     

    This is the sixth edition of the radio programme in which Modi shares his thoughts with Indian citizens. The focus of PM’s address will be on farmers and allied issues. He had invited citizens to share their ideas and thoughts on the subject in the Open Forum of MyGov.in.

     

    The Prime Minister has already interacted directly with people in the earlier five editions of Mann Ki Baat, the last one being addressed to children and young people sitting for their final examinations in March and April.

     

    Modi has dwelt upon several issues close to the hearts of the people such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, promotion of khadi, skill development, scholarship for disabled children, infrastructure for educational institutions, and menace of drugs.

     

    The Prime Minister also shared the Mann Ki Baat forum with the US president Barack Obama during his visit to India where the two leaders interacted with the people on a host of issues.

     

  • ‘Mann Ki Baat’ expected to centre around students’ exams; Modi invites suggestions

    ‘Mann Ki Baat’ expected to centre around students’ exams; Modi invites suggestions

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited suggestions and inputs for Mann Ki Baat that will be broadcast on All India Radio (AIR) in February 2015. 

     

    “Was thinking about this month’s radio programme and thought… why not share Mann Ki Baat with students preparing for board and competitive exams. I urge students, parents and teachers to share exam experiences that would inspire youngsters and even motivate them in exam preparation,” Modi said. 

     

    He added, “Like always, I will share some of your thoughts, inputs and anecdotes during the programme. Do share them here. http://mygov.in/groupissue/inputs-for-mann-ki-baat-february-2015/show.”

     

    AIR sources said the monthly broadcast was expected to be broadcast either in the third week or the last week of this month. 

  • BBC, AIR and ABC join hands to launch new show on cricket

    BBC, AIR and ABC join hands to launch new show on cricket

    NEW DELHI: BBC World Service in partnership with All India Radio (AIR) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is launching a new show called Stumped from 17 January.

     

    The show will bring together three cricket live wires – India, the UK and Australia – on one platform.

     

    The team of Stumped has presenters from all the three broadcasters. The names, which are part of commentators’ team, are Prakash Wakankar, English commentator of AIR; Alison Mitchell, first female commentator of BBC and the programme host and ABC’s Jim Maxwell. The idea behind the show is to explore the world of cricket and bring lively, informative, and humorous debate.

     

    Keeping with the spirit of World Cup 2015, the first series will coincide with the start of the tournament. The show will be hosted from venues across the World Cup host countries – Australia and New Zealand. There will be weekly roundup and discussion of key talking points from the World Cup and other lighter stories in sport from around the world.

     

    Indian cricket fans will be able to relish the ‘tales from the test’ that will be recounted by cricketing raconteur Henry Blofeld. Beside this, there will be some hard hitting questions on the show like: Why did penguins once stop play? And which international team score highest in the fashion stakes? Why do so many cricket terms find their way into everyday language?        

     

    AIR director general F Sheheryar said, “AIR is delighted to co-produce and broadcast Stumped, together with BBC and ABC, on cricket, which undoubtedly is the favourite sport of millions of sports lovers in India. All India Radio hopes that this programme, which will be carried by AIR’s FM Rainbow network in India, will help ordinary listeners understand the sport better and also spark listeners’ interest in the game in which India is the reigning champion especially with the ICC World Cup round the corner.”

     

    Stumped is a weekly programme and will be aired at 11:30 IST on All India Radio FM Rainbow Network and also at 0030 GMT on the BBC World Service. It will also be live streamed on All India Radio website.