Tag: All India Radio

Prasar Bharati looks at digitizing archives; to seek Rs 250 crore from govt

MUMBAI: Pubcaster Prasar Bharati is taking another stab at digitizing and monetising the huge archival content catalogue that is lying in the shelves of All India Radio and Doordarshan. And it is all set to make a formal request to the ministry of broadcasting and broadcasting (MIB) for nearly Rs 250 crore to help it achieve what it intends to do. It says included in this archive are prominent speeches of national leaders, popular programmes and music.

Prasar Bharati officials recently made a presentation to the MIB enumerating why it needs to do this. Sources say both Doordarshan and All India Radio have millions of hours of both audio and video content. In fact, All India Radio had digitized some of its content around a decade ago and even monetized some of it by selling CDs. The UK pubcaster BBC is amongst the world’s largest exporters of TV content with worldwide sales of around 400 million Euros. If Prasar Bharati manages even 10 per cent of that, it will more than recover its digitization costs.

The problem, however, is that its archive has not been maintained in the best manner and is on beta and VHS tapes, many of which could be damaged or unrecoverable. And some of it could be have been stolen or lost.

It is also looking at drafting a syndication policy to sell its content worldwide to other media outlets or online directly to consumers.

Says a media observer: “Hopefully, it takes up the task seriously this time and the MIB helps it see it through to conclusion. DD is in danger of becoming a dinosaur; digitisation will allow it to bring new legs to old content which a generation has not seen. It could be put out online or on mobile for consumption apart from finding customers for its clips worldwide.”

September 20, 2016
Prasar Bharati looks at digitizing archives; to seek Rs 250 crore from govt

MUMBAI: Pubcaster Prasar Bharati is taking another stab at digitizing and monetising the huge archival content catalogue that is lying in the shelves of All India Radio and Doordarshan. And it is all set to make a formal request to the ministry of broadcasting and broadcasting (MIB) for nearly Rs 250 crore to help it achieve what it intends to do. It says included in this archive are prominent speeches of national leaders, popular programmes and music.

Prasar Bharati officials recently made a presentation to the MIB enumerating why it needs to do this. Sources say both Doordarshan and All India Radio have millions of hours of both audio and video content. In fact, All India Radio had digitized some of its content around a decade ago and even monetized some of it by selling CDs. The UK pubcaster BBC is amongst the world’s largest exporters of TV content with worldwide sales of around 400 million Euros. If Prasar Bharati manages even 10 per cent of that, it will more than recover its digitization costs.

The problem, however, is that its archive has not been maintained in the best manner and is on beta and VHS tapes, many of which could be damaged or unrecoverable. And some of it could be have been stolen or lost.

It is also looking at drafting a syndication policy to sell its content worldwide to other media outlets or online directly to consumers.

Says a media observer: “Hopefully, it takes up the task seriously this time and the MIB helps it see it through to conclusion. DD is in danger of becoming a dinosaur; digitisation will allow it to bring new legs to old content which a generation has not seen. It could be put out online or on mobile for consumption apart from finding customers for its clips worldwide.”

September 20, 2016
DD begins work on next year’s govt. funding

NEW DELHI: India’s television pubcaster Doordarshan, managed by Prasar Bharati, has begun an annual exercise to convey to the government the level of funding it could need for next financial year beginning April 1, 2017.

While directing the various units and centres under DD to send in their financial demands, a communiqué from the DD Directorate clarified that such budgeting should not include any (financial) provisions for vacant posts.

Prasar Bharati, which runs DD and All India Radio, like many other public broadcasters of the world, is funded with public money that the government allocates to it as part of the country’s annual budgetary
proposals.

The official communication from DD head office added that any liabilities from previous year’s budgetary support should be detailed, including separately listing reasons for exceeding allocated budgets for the financial year 2015-16 as also enumerating the likely effect that payment of certain government allowances, bonuses and increased payout to employees likely to have.

It is estimated that Prasar Bharati has around 40,000 employees on its rolls.

Though Prasar Bharat is an autonomous organisation, formed under an Act of Parliament of 1990 that was notified only in 1997 paving the way for its formal set up, a majority of its employees are still categorised as government officials, a hangover of pre-Prasar Bharati days when DD and AIR were media units of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Hence, any revision of pay scales for government officials, as notified earlier this year, has an effect of Prasar Bharati officials too.

ALSO READ:

DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

September 14, 2016
DD begins work on next year’s govt. funding

NEW DELHI: India’s television pubcaster Doordarshan, managed by Prasar Bharati, has begun an annual exercise to convey to the government the level of funding it could need for next financial year beginning April 1, 2017.

While directing the various units and centres under DD to send in their financial demands, a communiqué from the DD Directorate clarified that such budgeting should not include any (financial) provisions for vacant posts.

Prasar Bharati, which runs DD and All India Radio, like many other public broadcasters of the world, is funded with public money that the government allocates to it as part of the country’s annual budgetary
proposals.

The official communication from DD head office added that any liabilities from previous year’s budgetary support should be detailed, including separately listing reasons for exceeding allocated budgets for the financial year 2015-16 as also enumerating the likely effect that payment of certain government allowances, bonuses and increased payout to employees likely to have.

It is estimated that Prasar Bharati has around 40,000 employees on its rolls.

Though Prasar Bharat is an autonomous organisation, formed under an Act of Parliament of 1990 that was notified only in 1997 paving the way for its formal set up, a majority of its employees are still categorised as government officials, a hangover of pre-Prasar Bharati days when DD and AIR were media units of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB). Hence, any revision of pay scales for government officials, as notified earlier this year, has an effect of Prasar Bharati officials too.

ALSO READ:

DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

September 14, 2016
Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

“No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

ALSO READ:

Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

September 6, 2016
Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

“No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

ALSO READ:

Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

September 6, 2016
Do not mix news with views and avoid speculation: Naidu

NEW DELHI: Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today handed out some sanskari (rooted in culture) advise to officials of All India Radio and Doordarshan while reminding them of a pubcaster’s responsibilities in dishing out information devoid of sensationalism.

Stressing on the need for upholding credibility in dissemination of information by public broadcasters, the Minister said, “Public service broadcasters have a great responsibility on their shoulders to ensure credibility in the era of competition.”

Naidu was speaking at a review meeting during a visit to the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) centres in Hyderabad on Monday.
Naidu infused confidence in the officials of different media units of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) while interacting with them to understand their problems.

He said the information empowerment of the people is quintessential in the age of information revolution, and information is “great ammunition in the hands of the people in fighting corruption, poverty and inequalities from the society for the overall development of India”.

The Minister added that the public discourse should be guided by development rather than disruptive tactics and politics.
Public broadcasters must excel in factual information while communicating to the mass audience. He advised those in the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, parent of DD and AIR, not to jump to conclusions but confirm the news before putting it on air.

“A public broadcaster, while disseminating information must abstain from obscenity, vulgarity and violence”, he said, adding that people in the media while producing programmes, plays, cultural programmes, must keep in mind India’s great heritage, culture, traditions and customs in mind.

He advised people in media to maintain high standards in informing the masses, keeping in mind the philosophy and guidelines established by the founding fathers in various spheres of public life. “Let us not mix news with views and create a bad practice,” Naidu exhorted Prasar Bharati officials.

He advocated that media should work together in bringing social harmony and discourage politicisation of social issues and not play into the hands of terrorists and to avoid in “turning them into heroes”.
He wanted the media to be biased towards rural people, agriculturists, down trodden sections, women and disabled people in giving more coverage to highlight their grievances.

August 23, 2016
Do not mix news with views and avoid speculation: Naidu

NEW DELHI: Information & Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today handed out some sanskari (rooted in culture) advise to officials of All India Radio and Doordarshan while reminding them of a pubcaster’s responsibilities in dishing out information devoid of sensationalism.

Stressing on the need for upholding credibility in dissemination of information by public broadcasters, the Minister said, “Public service broadcasters have a great responsibility on their shoulders to ensure credibility in the era of competition.”

Naidu was speaking at a review meeting during a visit to the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD) centres in Hyderabad on Monday.
Naidu infused confidence in the officials of different media units of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) while interacting with them to understand their problems.

He said the information empowerment of the people is quintessential in the age of information revolution, and information is “great ammunition in the hands of the people in fighting corruption, poverty and inequalities from the society for the overall development of India”.

The Minister added that the public discourse should be guided by development rather than disruptive tactics and politics.
Public broadcasters must excel in factual information while communicating to the mass audience. He advised those in the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati, parent of DD and AIR, not to jump to conclusions but confirm the news before putting it on air.

“A public broadcaster, while disseminating information must abstain from obscenity, vulgarity and violence”, he said, adding that people in the media while producing programmes, plays, cultural programmes, must keep in mind India’s great heritage, culture, traditions and customs in mind.

He advised people in media to maintain high standards in informing the masses, keeping in mind the philosophy and guidelines established by the founding fathers in various spheres of public life. “Let us not mix news with views and create a bad practice,” Naidu exhorted Prasar Bharati officials.

He advocated that media should work together in bringing social harmony and discourage politicisation of social issues and not play into the hands of terrorists and to avoid in “turning them into heroes”.
He wanted the media to be biased towards rural people, agriculturists, down trodden sections, women and disabled people in giving more coverage to highlight their grievances.

August 23, 2016
Tiranga song, I-Day programmes on All India Radio and Doordarshan

NEW DELHI: A theme song on Tiranga Yatra to be organized from 15 August to mark the 70thanniversary of India’s Independence from the British has been released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Tiranga Yatra will be a symbol of development, social harmony and unity. It will spread harmony,” Modi said. He also asked the party MPs to highlight the contribution of freedom fighters and martyrs among school children.

The theme song ’70 Saal Azadi Yaad Karo Kurbani’ has been composed by Dr. Ghazal Srinivas on behalf of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation and Savetemples. The link to the Hindi version is file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/lyric.htm

In addition, AIR and Doordarshan will broadcast a message by President Pranab Mukherjee on14 August at 7 pm on all their channels followed by translations in Hindi and other regional languages.

The Prime Minister will unfirl the national flag on the ramparts of Red Fort and then address the nation. This will be covered live by both AIR and DD on all its channels from 7 am on 15 August. This will be followed by a coverage from states by respective DD channels of the celebrations.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has also commenced a festival of patriotic films to mark the occasion in Delhi.

Launching the song at a function here today, I and B Mnister M Venkaiaih Nadu also announced that Patriotic songs will be played on All India Radii, Doordarshan and FM Radio for three days.

A collage of patriotic songs in all languages will be telecast by DD and other channels.

Biographies of the composers/writers of patriotic songs like Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chhatterjee, Muhammad Iqbal, Kavi Pradeep, ShakeelBadayuni, Naushad, Pitambar Das and others as well as songs in regional languages like Bharatamataku JeyJejelu in Telugu by Acharya Atreya (1972), along with the brief anecdotal background will be broadcast before the songs.

Video and Audio clips of speeches of national icons are being prepared into a short film and be broadcast on DD/AIR and will be circulated on social media.

These programmes will be interspersed with PM’s clip.

All speech documentaries will be telecast in local languages also.
Naidu said the Festival of Independence being celebrated throughout the country offers an opportunity for the citizens to remember the sacrifices and contributions made by great leaders during the Indian Freedom Struggle and National Movement.

MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore, and MoS Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre were also present during the occasion.

Elaborating further, Naidu said that the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ song captures the patriotic fervor and showcases the diversity in the country. He said that the Idea of India was being reinforced through the song and that the song aims to promote brotherhood and the feeling of oneness among all the citizens. The Minister also released the list of activities that are going to be performed by various ministries.

August 12, 2016
Tiranga song, I-Day programmes on All India Radio and Doordarshan

NEW DELHI: A theme song on Tiranga Yatra to be organized from 15 August to mark the 70thanniversary of India’s Independence from the British has been released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Tiranga Yatra will be a symbol of development, social harmony and unity. It will spread harmony,” Modi said. He also asked the party MPs to highlight the contribution of freedom fighters and martyrs among school children.

The theme song ’70 Saal Azadi Yaad Karo Kurbani’ has been composed by Dr. Ghazal Srinivas on behalf of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation and Savetemples. The link to the Hindi version is file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/lyric.htm

In addition, AIR and Doordarshan will broadcast a message by President Pranab Mukherjee on14 August at 7 pm on all their channels followed by translations in Hindi and other regional languages.

The Prime Minister will unfirl the national flag on the ramparts of Red Fort and then address the nation. This will be covered live by both AIR and DD on all its channels from 7 am on 15 August. This will be followed by a coverage from states by respective DD channels of the celebrations.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has also commenced a festival of patriotic films to mark the occasion in Delhi.

Launching the song at a function here today, I and B Mnister M Venkaiaih Nadu also announced that Patriotic songs will be played on All India Radii, Doordarshan and FM Radio for three days.

A collage of patriotic songs in all languages will be telecast by DD and other channels.

Biographies of the composers/writers of patriotic songs like Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chhatterjee, Muhammad Iqbal, Kavi Pradeep, ShakeelBadayuni, Naushad, Pitambar Das and others as well as songs in regional languages like Bharatamataku JeyJejelu in Telugu by Acharya Atreya (1972), along with the brief anecdotal background will be broadcast before the songs.

Video and Audio clips of speeches of national icons are being prepared into a short film and be broadcast on DD/AIR and will be circulated on social media.

These programmes will be interspersed with PM’s clip.

All speech documentaries will be telecast in local languages also.
Naidu said the Festival of Independence being celebrated throughout the country offers an opportunity for the citizens to remember the sacrifices and contributions made by great leaders during the Indian Freedom Struggle and National Movement.

MoS Rajyavardhan Rathore, and MoS Defence Subhash Ramrao Bhamre were also present during the occasion.

Elaborating further, Naidu said that the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ song captures the patriotic fervor and showcases the diversity in the country. He said that the Idea of India was being reinforced through the song and that the song aims to promote brotherhood and the feeling of oneness among all the citizens. The Minister also released the list of activities that are going to be performed by various ministries.

August 12, 2016