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Tag: DD

  • DD launches a series on innovations in science across the world

    DD launches a series on innovations in science across the world

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has commenced telecast of a new series, A Question of Science in which scientific curiosity and the chase for answers is the central theme.

     

    This 26-part series on the most exciting cutting-edge research and innovations happening across India’s science labs and technology hubs is telecast every Wednesday on DD National at 09 am.

     

    Each 22-24 minute episode introduces viewers to a team of researchers, working to solve a pressing problem of science. It traverses a wide range of fields: from genetics to particle physics, from wildlife conservation to radio-astronomy, from biomedical engineering to agricultural innovation – every aspect of India’s scientific landscape is explored.

     

    The quest takes viewers across the length and breadth of India and beyond (including CERN at Geneva). In each story, viewers get to know about the researchers and understand the basic questions they are trying to answer.

     

    Using simple scientific explanations, analogies and state-of-the-art 2D and 3D animation, it brings sciences alive and delves into how science is ‘done’ – the ups and downs and the challenges, triumphs and failures of scientific pursuit.

     

    The subjects include  Particle Physics: India’s contribution to the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, the India-based Neutrino Observatory etc; Wildlife Conservation: Underwater acoustics in conservation of Gangetic River Dolphin, Technologies at LaCones, Conservation of Olive Ridley turtles etc; Medicine and Biomedical engineering: Stem Cell innovation in restoring corneal sight, Artificial heart pumps and heart valves, Sleep Research, Brain Bank etc; Agriculture: Improved strains of high-yield rice using DNA marker technology, Apomixis in seed production etc.; Astronomy & Space: Giant Meter wave Radio Telescope, Chandrayaan – Moon mission;  Industrial innovation: Leather processing technologies etc;  New-Age Energy: Wind Atlas & Wind Energy; and other subjects like Stratospheric Balloon Technology, DNA Fingerprinting, Insect Flight Mechanism etc.

  • Election Commission to allot time to five state assemblies for poll broadcast on DD, AIR

    Election Commission to allot time to five state assemblies for poll broadcast on DD, AIR

    NEW DELHI: All India Radio and Doordarshan, which provides a platform to political parties for their poll broadcasts before election, will also organise panel discussions or debates at the Kendras/Stations for the forthcoming elections, for the state assemblies of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

    The eligible party can nominate one representative for this programme, but only the Election Commission of India will approve the names of coordinators for the panel discussion and debates in consultation with the Prasar Bharati Corporation.

    The Commission, in the previous years, has worked out a schedule to provide different time slots for poll broadcasts to different parties.

    Only the ‘national parties’ and ‘recognised state parties’ will be eligible to avail the facility of the broadcast and telecast time.

    A base time of 45 minutes will be given to each party uniformly on the Regional Kendras  of  Doordarshan network and All India Radio network in the States/UT of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and NCT of Delhi. The additional time to be allotted to the parties has been decided on the basis of the poll performance of the parties in the last assembly election. The facilities will be available at the Regional Kendra of the All India Radio and Doordarshan in the states and then will be relayed by other stations within the states.

    In a single session of broadcast, no party will be allotted more than 15 minutes.

    The period of broadcast and telecast will be between the last days of filing the nominations and will end two days prior to the date of the poll. However, there will be no telecast or broadcast during the 48 hours before the polls close, as per specific provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

    Prasar Bharati, in consultation with the Commission, will decide the actual date and time for broadcast and telecast. This will be subject to the broad technical constraints governing the actual time of transmission available with the Doordarshan and All India Radio.

    The guidelines prescribed by the Commission for telecast and broadcast will be strictly followed. The parties will be required to submit transcripts and recording in advance. The parties can get this recorded at their own cost in studios that meets the technical standards prescribed by Prasar Bharati, or at the Doordarshan/All India Radio Kendras.

     

    Alternatively, they can have these recorded in the studios of Doordarshan and All India Radio by advance requests. In such cases, the recordings may be done at the State Capital and at timings indicated by Doordarshan/All India Radio.

    Time Vouchers will be available in the denomination of five minutes with one voucher having time allotment from one to four minutes. The parties will be free to combine them suitably.

    Introduced for the first time for the Lok Sabha elections in 1998, the scheme of free broadcasts was extended by the Commission to the State Assemblies held after 1998 and General Elections to the Lok Sabha in 1999, 2004 and 2009.

    With the amendments in the Representation of People Act 1951, “Election and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2003”, and the rules notified in that, equitable time sharing for campaigning by recognised political parties on electronic media now has statutory basis.

    In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of the Explanation below section 39A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, the Central Government has notified all such broadcasting media that are owned or controlled or financed wholly or substantially by funds provided to them by the Central Government, as the electronic media for the purposes of that section. Therefore, the Commission has decided to extend the said scheme of equitable time sharing on electronic media through Prasar Bharati Corporation to the ensuing General Elections to the State Legislative Assemblies.

  • After FreeDish, Rishtey rides onto Dish TV

    After FreeDish, Rishtey rides onto Dish TV

    MUMBAI: It debuted in India on 1 December on the pubcaster DD’s free DTH service FreeDish. Now Viacom 18’s second GEC channel Rishtey has got carriage on India’s oldest DTH platform Dish TV.

    Rishtey is currently running its test feed on Dish TV at LC number 1000 as well as on Freedish, India’s only FTA DTH broadcaster. Deals with other cable and DTH players are in progress to get the channel’s distribution intact before launch. Sources say that it would have paid anywhere between Rs 4 to Rs 6 crore get carriage on the pubcaster’s DTH service.

    IndiaCast – which is distributing the channel in India – sources indicate that test feeds will soon commence on Airtel Digital TV and Videocon d2H as well.

    The FTA channel that launched September last year in the UK, broadcasts reruns from Colors and original programming from channels in Pakistan such as Maat (currently on) and Humsafar (completed).

    Recently, Rishtey UK doubled its ad rates on completion of its successful run in year one during the course of which it beat even Colors there. Primetime commercials are being sold there for as high as ?600 for a mainstream advertiser and ?100 for an ethnic one.

  • BAG Films bags Urmila Gupta as additional director

    BAG Films bags Urmila Gupta as additional director

    MUMBAI: The Anurradha Prasad owned BAG Films has been strengthening its senior management. A couple of months ago, it announced the appointment of television veteran Ravina Raj Kohli as an advisor. Today, it informed the Bombay stock exchange (BSE) that it had roped in a new additional director in former DD and Star TV professional Urmila Gupta.

     

    Currently, Gupta is a trustee director at Cinema Capital, an investment advisory company. She is also a producer/promoter at Taal India Communication. Confirming her appointment, BAG Network MD and chairperson Anurradha Prasad says, “We welcome her to the company. She is an old TV hand with a 360 degree experience. She will add a lot of value to BAG.”

     

    Gupta has over 35 years of experience in the media and entertainment sector. She was the head of the India International Film Festival for many years. Later, she joined Doordarshan as deputy director general of its news and current affairs division.

     

    In 1996, Gupta joined Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp as executive director of Star TV group. She headed its DTH operation in India called I Sky B which got dissolved, leading to her leaving the company in 1999. Apart from this, she has also worked with the Indian government for nearly 28 years.

  • DD Sahyadri to celebrate Public Service Broadcasting Day

    DD Sahyadri to celebrate Public Service Broadcasting Day

    MUMBAI: Every year, November 12 is celebrated as Public Service Broadcasting Day to commemorate the historic occasion when Mahatma Gandhi visited the Delhi station of All India Radio (AIR) to record a message for grief-stricken refugees in the aftermath of the partition.

     

    In keeping with the tradition, this year, Doordarshan’s (DD) Marathi channel DD Sahyadri will air a show titled Shiledar Rashtranirmitiche on 12 November from 10:00 pm to 12:00 pm to honour individuals from different walks of life who’ve contributed significantly to the cause of public service.  

     

    Conceptualised by Mukesh Sharma and produced by Shrikala Hatangade, the show will felicitate the likes of Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari, Ameen Sayani, Dr B K Goyal, Yashwant Deo, M N Singh, Karun Shrivastav, Tabassum, Madhukar Bhave, Daksha Mashruwala, Rajan Welukar, Ujjwal Nikam and Kiran Shantaram.

     

    “I believe that commercial broadcasting is for consumers while public broadcasting is for citizens” says DD Sahyadri director general Mukesh Sharma, highlighting the need for a pubcaster at a time when commercial broadcasting has pipped it at the post.

     

    Recorded at DD’s plush new studio using five high definition cameras, Shiledar Rashtranirmitiche comprises audio videos created for each of the twelve achievers by program executive Sunita Godbole. These clips have the chosen personalities talking about their achievements in various fields, along with anecdotes from the past.
    In the show, Deo says: “Previously, songs were only meant for the ears, now, a song cannot be heard without watching it as well” while Tabassum revisits her 44 years with Doordarshan and how she evolved from AIR to DD.

     

    Says public prosecutor Nikam: “I always make sure the DD camera is there when I am speaking after a case because it reaches the remotest corners. It is the only news that gives you correct facts.” Dr Goel too favours DD saying it covers news that is usually left aside by the commercial television channels. “Lots of health issues are brought out through shows on DD that aren’t done by other channels so much,” he says.

     

    On his part, Singh urges DD to telecast shows that highlight the critical role played by policemen and doctors so that people are aware of how tough their job is rather than simply criticising them. Watch the show at 10pm on 12 November on DD Sahyadri.

  • Naseeruddin Shah urges to change views about disabled and disability in DD series

    Naseeruddin Shah urges to change views about disabled and disability in DD series

    NEW DELHI: Renowned actor Naseeruddin Shah has strongly supported the telecast of a series on visually impaired and blind achievers on Doordarshan saying “people need to break away from the societal stereotypes and commonly held perceptions about disability and success or happiness.”

     

    The actor, who acted as a blind school principal in the Sai Paranjpye-directed film Sparsh and is presenting the series Nazar ya Nazariya on Doordarshan, said, “India has over 63 million visually impaired people, of which around eight million are completely blind. Most of these people are often marginalised, not given equal opportunities for education, career and employment; they are also ill informed, and not stimulated to explore their potential. The blind and visually impaired community is often viewed as liabilities as opposed to potential human resource for a developing country.”

     

    “This is the main message we are trying to drive through this television series and we hope that we are able to achieve this goal by reaching out to more and more people of this country.”

     

    Commenting on his association, Shah said, “When I did Sparsh in the early 1980s, I had the opportunity of interacting with several visually impaired individuals. I realised that the problem is not with the Nazar it is with the Nazariya.”

     

    Doordarshan has been airing the special series on real-life visually impaired and blind achievers in India across various fields in the programme which is telecast every Saturday at 9.30 am.

     

    Each episode of the television series features real-life stories of blind and visually impaired achievers while addressing diverse themes throughout the course of the 13-part series. The themes will range from education, employment, business, art and culture to marriage and relationships.

  • Resuscitating Prasar Bharati

    Resuscitating Prasar Bharati

    The non-coverage of the last historic test match of Sachin Tendulkar by Doordarshan entailed numerous explanations by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Prasar Bharati – on its part – painfully chose not to telecast the mega event because of an unsupportive legal provision that financially favours the content right holders telecasting such sports events.

    Every household watched the match of  Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar with nostalgia and gratitude since the most respected cricketer decided to draw the curtains on his cricketing career representing the nation and relished the visual treat  gratefully acknowledging  “Sachin the Legend” in great measure.

    The Sports Broadcasting (mandatory sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007 mandates all right holders telecasting or broadcasting through radio to share the signals without any advertisements to enable Prasar Bharati to re-transmit on its terrestrial and direct to home network. 

    During the ICC Championship Trophy, ESPN (Now Star Sports 4) as content right holder had offered to share the live signals along with commercials embedded by ICC already.  Prasar Bharati insisted on a clean feed and chose to telecast the event without any commercials that resulted in average of DD National TVTs  soaring to an all time high – higher than other telecasting channels – for all the five matches proving that people in India preferred matches without intervening commercials.

    The Honourable High Court of Delhi decided the issue in favour of the Public Broadcaster. After a series of discussions, marketing inputs and considering the dynamic changes in technology, Prasar Bharati decided to alter the proposed amendment by withdrawing the issue of revenue sharing substituted by a very minor alteration in the Act for the mode of transmission and platform which would enable Prasar Bharati to telecast the sporting events of national importance on the dedicated free-to-air channel of Doordarshan, DD Sports, where the opportunity costs were minimal. Amendments proposed to the Sports Broadcasting Act, 2007 basically focused on the revenue sharing with the rights holders from existing ratio of 75-25 to 40-60 in favour of Prasar Bharati. 

    A recent experiment showed how independence in Prasar Bharati can make an impact. A truly independent team with young professionals in DD News prime time has rattled the industry with ratings showing an upswing.

    Ever since the Sports Act, 2007 was notified, Doordarshan has been telecasting sports events of national importance on its DD National terrestrial channel and free-to-air DTH network in compliance of the Act.  In all, 43 events have been telecast under the Act till November, 2013.

    In 18 events, Doordarshan suffered a total loss where even the amount quoted by the revenue management company, that is, the highest bidder out of Prasar Bharati and the content right holder was not enough to meet the opportunity cost (monetary value of advertisement revenue on normal programme) and in 25 events Doordarshan suffered a loss where even the opportunity cost was not realised.

    Doordarshan had no choice but to undertake these telecasts as it is mandated to comply with the Act.  The 25 per cent revenue share to which Prasar Bharati is entitled has been way below its financial obligations resulting in outright losses. It is time to stop lacerating incursions by commercial interests and to amend the mandatory sharing of Sports Broadcasting Signals with Prasar Bharati Act to avoid any further financial bleeding by the pubcaster. 

    Since 1997, DD  has been demanding literal autonomy enshrined in the Act of Parliament and has been juggling its financial management with a depleting workforce superannuating in thousands every year without a Recruitment Board in place for inexplicable reasons. It is programmed inaction that cost Prasar Bharati heavily with the  Member (Finance) with only one officer sanctioned to assist him in his Secretariat, managing the annual business of Rs 5,000 crore. The Personnel wing too has a crippled structure to handle the workforce of 48,000 sanctioned employees and continues struggling with inherited legacies along with land, buildings, technical infrastructure, ponderous liabilities and unsolved complex HR issues to manage.

    Self sustainability and financial freedom are issues that warrant immediate solution. Vast tracts of land held but not optimally utilised due to technological advancements in broadcasting  resulting in obsolescence of Relay Centres is an immediate viable option for unlocking of land for value otherwise they may end up being exposed to encroachments by land sharks. 

    The large number of government servants on deemed deputation to Prasar Bharati is a legacy that warrants serious restructuring to match modern day broadcast needs. While it has surplus of trained engineering manpower in its terrestrial infrastructure, and skilled manpower to manage content  its news related function is grossly inadequate. The much awaited Sam Pitroda Committee report is expected to offer ample opportunity for government solutions. 

    There is a bright light in the horizon with a positive I&B Ministry leading from the front, correcting inherited infirmities and guiding legal and personnel issues to operationalise practical proposals and resuscitate Prasar Bharati to a genuine and vibrant public broadcaster.

     

    As far as autonomy goes, all major successful public broadcasters in the world have functional and operational autonomy. The BBC model continues to be the best. The  Supreme Court of India while delivering judgement in the case of Cricket Association of Bengal in 1995 brought out the need for total autonomy for ensuring plurality of use, opinion and also to ensure a fair and balanced presentation of news and public issues, the broadcast media should be placed under the control of the public, i.e. in the hands of a Statutory Corporation or Corporations, as the case may be. 

    While dealing with the issues of airwaves, the apex court noted: “Government control, which in effect means the control of the political party or parties in power for the time being.  Such control is bound to colour and in some cases, may even distort the news, views and opinions expressed through the media.  It is not conducive to free expression of the contending viewpoint and opinion which is essential for the growth of a healthy democracy.”

     

    It further added: “The right to use the airwaves and the content of the programme, therefore, needs regulation for balancing it as well as to present monopoly of information and news relayed, which is a potential danger flowing from the concentration of the right to broadcast/telecast in the hands either of a central agency or of few private affluent broadcasters. That is why the need to have a central agency representative of all sections of the society free from control of the government is essential.”

    On the other hand, broadcasting system control managed by states is found to be inconsistent with the basics of full democracy all over the world.  S. Jaipal Reddy during the XIII Lok Sabha debate Session II Winter Session stated: “I do not think that our democracy is so backward to need the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.  In fact, in no advanced country in the world do we have a Ministry for Information and Broadcasting.” 

    For a vibrant Prasar Bharati nevertheless, there is a need for the government to provide financial and personnel stability and ensure that attained ad hocism will be replaced. There is a bright light in the horizon with a positive I&B Ministry leading from the front, correcting inherited infirmities and guiding legal and personnel issues to operationalise practical proposals and resuscitate Prasar Bharati to a genuine and vibrant public broadcaster.

  • DD launches new family game show

    DD launches new family game show

    MUMBAI:  DD National will soon be airing a new show. It is a game show christened Family No 1: Rahein Saath, Khelein Saath (Stay Together, Play Together) and will only have family members as contestants.  The show aims to bring the families together to have good times together and have fun.

    The format of the show is very simple wherein the games played will be as easy as breaking matkas while blindfolded, finding coins from cake with your hands tied and so on. Every episode has two contestants (families) playing against each other. The innovative and interesting games will be played in four rounds. In the first round one member from each team will participate, second round will involve two members from each team, third round will have three members from each team and fourth round will be open.

    The ultimate winner will get a Family Car, first runner up will get a trip to Disneyland and the second runner up will get a bike. Episodic winners will get a full year supply of Pepsodent. The show is sponsored by the toothpaste brand.

    The show will be hosted by the stand-up comedian Rajiv Thakur of Comedy Circus and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge fame and Sa Re Ga Ma L’il Champs anchor Afshaa Musani.

    It is directed by Gajendra Singh and produced by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Saa Productions. Singh is the pioneer of the music reality shows in India and has given super hit shows such as Antakshari, Sa Re Ga Ma, Voice Of India, Music Ka Maha Muqabla, Sur Kshetra among many others.
    The show will be aired from 5 October 2013 every Saturday and Sunday from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

  • IPTV: I&B mandates carriage of 24 DD channels

    IPTV: I&B mandates carriage of 24 DD channels

    NEW DELHI: Superseding its earlier orders in this connection, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has updated its list of channels to be compulsorily carried on the Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

    The new order lists a total of 24 channels, which includes 21 Doordarshan channels apart from Gyan Darshan, Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV.

    The DD channels in the list are National, News, Bharati, Urdu, Sports, DD India, DD Kashir, DD Punjabi, DD Girnar, DD Sahyadiri, DD Saptagiri, DD Malayalam, DD Podhigal, DD Candana, DD Bangla, DD North East, DD Bihar, DD Uttar Pradesh, DD Rajasthan, DD Madhya Pradesh and DD Oriya.

    The memorandum says it shall be obligatory for every IPTV Service Provider to provide these channels to the subscribers, irrespective of any bouquet(s) or a-la-carte channel(s) being subscribed by them. The IPTV Service Provider shall also place the above channels in the respective genre and shall display them in full television screen.

  • Balaji Films returns to DD as Jeetendra appreciates its marketing and growth

    Balaji Films returns to DD as Jeetendra appreciates its marketing and growth

    NEW DELHI: Television entrepreneur Ekta Kapoor, who commenced her career with Itihaas on Doordarshan, is back on the national broadcaster with a family-oriented love story.

    Pavitra Bandhan – Do dilon ka will be telecast from Mondays to Fridays commencing from 9 September at 8:30 pm.

    Balaji Films chairman and renowned actor Jeetendra recalled at a press meet here how the pubcaster had given him support when he and his daughter Ekta first launched their programmes. He said that DD was a king at one time as it was the only one in the race, but it has gradually re-emerged as a major player with this new marketing policies and increasing revenues. ‘The king is content, and not stars, and DD banks on content’, he said.

    Pavitra Bandhan is a journey of two strangers Aashima and Girish, who are completely opposite to each other by nature but are destined to meet. But their priorities do not change when they meet and their main concerns remain their respective families.

    Deputy Director General Raj Shekhar Vyas, currently in charge of the primary channel DD I, said Ekta had commenced on DD Metro with Itihaas, but had now come on the primary channel. He claimed that the viewership of DD National was now the largest in the world with 1.25 crore viewers.

    He said that the channel had acquired world rights of Pavitra Bandhan and it had also been decided that 60 per cent of the revenue from commercials will come to Doordarshan, the balance going to Balaji Films.

    Vyas added that DD had now gone on a marketing binge and was also advertising in the print media and through hoardings. A sum of Rs 2 crore had gone to newspapers in recent months on advertising.

    V K Jain who is in charge of public relations in Doordarshan said that DD will soon launch cross-channel publicity, and already had over 2,000 hoarding sites in different parts of the country.

    Yash Tonk, who plays the male lead, said that he found working in films and television equally challenging. However, he admitted that he had a greater name in TV.

    Hritu Dudhani who plays the female lead said she had also acted as a police officer in an early serial on Doordarshan, and acted in Bandhini with Balaji Films.

    Others in the cast are Yamini Thakur, Shabnam Sayeed, Shailley Kaushik, Munni Jha, Shalini Arora, and Rajat Dahiya.

    Mallika Dutt who has written the story and screenplay denied that Balaji series appeared to go on and on and said this series will only last as long as the viewers want it.