ITV

Tag: Doordarshan

  • Doordarshan’s TV relay centers allocated Rs 1500 crore in last three years

    Doordarshan’s TV relay centers allocated Rs 1500 crore in last three years

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan has been allocated total funds of Rs 1,583.97 crore in the financial years since 2012 for its ’s TV relay centers.

    This includes a sum of Rs 498.33 crore in 2012-13, Rs 512.96 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 572.68 crore in 2014-15.

    Five new High Power Transmitters (HPTs) in Jammu and Kashmir have been approved as part of continuing scheme of 12th Plan: HPTs (DD1 & DD News) in Rajouri; HPT Natha Top (Patni Top); HPT Himbotingla Top; and HPT Green Ridge.

    Prasar Bharati has 1416 TV transmitters of varying power in the country, including 99 transmitters located in Rajasthan.

    Prasar Bharati sources said requests for setting up of new transmitters and upgradation of transmitters are received from various State Governments and public representatives from time to time.

    TV transmitters are generally closed when the area covered by the existing transmitter is covered by any other transmitter commissioned in the area or nearby location. So the terrestrial coverage is available in the area and viewers are not affected by the closure of the transmitter.

  • Prasar Bharati’s funds for content development stopped under 12th Plan

    Prasar Bharati’s funds for content development stopped under 12th Plan

    NEW DELHI: The government funds to Prasar Bharati for content development and dissemination have been stopped from the 12th Plan.

     

    The pubcaster was getting funds from the government under the 11th Plan for content development and dissemination scheme for both Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR), primarily for the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir, and Urdu.

     

    The pubcaster will now have to depend on its Internal Extra Budgetary Resources (IEBR) from the 12th Plan.

     

    Interestingly, Prasar Bharati said this development came at a time when its CEO Jawhar Sircar had asked the Ministry for funds for radio and TV channels in tribal areas and those channels, which are unable to run 24×7 – one example being Shimla.

     

    Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told Indiantelevision.com that Prasar Bharati was given Rs 54 crore in 2012-13, Rs 47 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 36 crore in 2014-15.

     

    Pertinent to note here is that there was a drastic reduction of funds allocated in 2014-15, since the Rs 36 crore also included Rs 25 crore for DD Kisan, which was launched recently on 26 May, 2015.

  • Amitabh Bachchan to promote DD Kisan

    Amitabh Bachchan to promote DD Kisan

    NEW DELHI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has undertaken scores of public service advertising on Doordarshan, has now been made the brand ambassador for the pubcaster’s latest venture, DD Kisan.

     

    Prasar Bharti additional director general Ranjan Mukherjee, who heads the channel confirmed the same to indiantelevision.com.

     

    Bachchan will feature prominently in a Doordarshan campaign to create greater awareness for the channel.

     

    DD sources confirmed that the actor had agreed to promote the channel as the specific request of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was also instrumental in appointing Bachchan as the brand ambassador for Tourism Gujarat during his tenure as chief minister of that state.

     

    Sources further said that Bachchan would feature in audiovisual, radio jingles as well as field publicity.

     

    However, while he is reported to be excited about the association, a formal announcement will be made later.

     

    Interestingly, Bachchan had himself registered as a farmer in 2010 when he bought land in Muzzaffar nagar village of Kakori, 23 km from Lucknow.  

     

    Meanwhile, DD Kisan has already entered into tie-ups with the Indian Meteorological Department and several agricultural institutions and scientists to provide up-to-date information. 

  • DD Kisan to be carried on prime band among infotainment channels: MIB

    DD Kisan to be carried on prime band among infotainment channels: MIB

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has made it mandatory for all platforms and carriers to carry the DD Kisan channel, launched earlier today, on the prime band.

     

    Additionally, the MIB also issued separate memorandums to both IPTV platforms as well direct to home operators (DTH) in this regard. The Ministry made it obligatory for every IPTV and DTH service provider to provide DD Kisan channel to their subscribers, irrespective of any bouquet(s) or a-la-carte channel(s) being subscribed by them.

     

    The ministry’s memorandum said that DD Kisan had been added to the list of channels to be compulsorily carried on all platforms.

     

    The MIB also said it had been decided to include DD Kisan channel under the Hindi infotainment genre, to be mandatorily included in all services and asked service providers to display it on full television screen.

  • Kisan TV launched; Modi calls for greater synergy between farmers & agricultural scientists

    Kisan TV launched; Modi calls for greater synergy between farmers & agricultural scientists

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan’s Kisan TV channel was launched today (26 May) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling upon agricultural scientists to create a link with the farmers through the channel to reach the latest technologies and related information to them.

     

    Dedicating the channel to the nation at a function in the tastefully decorate Vigyan Bhavan, Modi said that the channel could serve as a medium to take forward the green revolution and the slogan of ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ given by former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

     

    As an example, he said that satellite technology has helped the country get more accurate weather forecasts, which can help the farmers plan ahead. Similarly, agricultural scientists can help farmers become self-reliant in growth of pulses, which has virtually come to an end and led to shortage of proteins among the young.

     

    Those present on the dais included Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore, Cabinet secretary Ajit Seth Prasar and Bharati Board Chairman Surya Prakash. Others present included I&B secretary Bimal Julka, Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar, PB Advisor VAM Hussain, DD director general C. Lalrosanga, DD Kisan DDG Ranjan Mukherjee, DD Kisan advisor Naresh Sirohi, and several senior officials of Doordarshan.

     

    The channel was launched with Prime Minister Modi pressing the remote control with a short clip from the channel. The tagline of the new channel is ‘DD Kisan – Badalte Bharat ki Shaan.’ The Prime Minister also flagged off two Kisan Raths, which will go all over the country to apprise people about the new channel. Kisan TV is a free-to-air channel available on all direct-to-home (DTH) platforms.

     

    Modi said that the channel would help bring about greater cohesion between farmers all over the country and between farmers and the agricultural scientists and Universities.

     

    He added that some feel that the country already has far too many television channels, but he was convinced that each has a role to play. For example, he said sports channels, more than the government or sports bodies, had helped encourage young people to take to sports in a big way and win laurels for the country.

     

    Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh informed that a special cell had been set up in his Ministry to coordinate amongst agricultural universities and scientists on the one hand and with the channel on the other. He said, “India is a country of farmers and therefore it is important for them to know how they can help the yield through modern methods.”

     

    I&B’s Rajyavardhan Rathore said that the occasion and venue itself were reminiscent of the need for cohesion. “Program kisan ka, bhavan vigyan ka,” he said referring to Vigyan Bhavan where the event took place.

     

    He noted that this was first programme taking place on the commencement of the second year of the National Democratic Alliance Government.

     

    Rathore said that the channel, which will be available in all languages, will not only take the scientist to the farmer, but will also make sure of the need for entertaining the farmer.

     

    Prasar Bharati Board chairmam Surya Pralash clarified that the channel was primarily in Hindi but all important programmes will be dubbed in different languages and shown in the respective parts of the country.

     

    He noted, “As far as I know, India is the first country to have a television channel devoted to farmers and agriculture.”

     

    Referring to the role of Prasar Bharati as a public service broadcaster, he said that the Information and Broadcasting Ministry would remain answerable to the people as long as public money was being put into the channel. He admitted calling the broadcaster autonomous and yet answerable to the Ministry was akin to a ‘tight rope walk.’ 

  • Headlines Today becomes India Today; group to pump 10% of budget in marketing

    Headlines Today becomes India Today; group to pump 10% of budget in marketing

    NEW DELHI: Emphasising that the launch of the ‘India Today’ news channel was being treated as a fresh channel launch and not a re-branding of Headlines Today, spokespersons from the channel said that it sports a completely new look as compared to any other news channel in the country.

     

    Speaking about the key reason for changing the brand name of the channel, India Today group CEO Ashish Bagga told Indiantelevision.com that research had shown that the brand recall value of India Today was much higher than that of Headlines Today and therefore it was being promoted as a new news channel.

     

    The channel will also be promoted through television commercials, newspaper and web advertisements and outdoor publicity. In addition, the channel will also be eyeing media partnerships with events like the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards or premieres of important films.

     

    Bagga informed that approximately five to ten per cent of the channel’s total budget would be spent on marketing it. 

     

    He considered this the biggest initiative by the India Today Group in the last forty years.

     

    Bagga also said that the channel was not visible on all DTH platforms including Doordarshan’s FreeDish.

     

    With 40 niche magazines in its kitty, the group had already connected with viewers and readers all over the country.

     

    When asked if a research had been conducted before the channel’s launch, he said research was conducted on two levels. On a qualitative level, the aim had been to gauge what people were seeing and what they wanted in news channels. Secondly, an Eye-7 test had been conducted whereby special kind of glasses were worn to gauge eye movements and also check if the viewer had any problem in seeing a channel, which carries more than one box of written matter apart from the visuals. 

     

    Talking about the channel’s branding and content, India Today Group synergy and creative officer Kalli Purie said that the new channel had a lot more depth.

     

    Purie said that the India Today magazine had set a standard that other print publications were attempting to emulate, and the aim was to bring the same standard to television news reporting. 

     

    The new look of the channel not only has a headline at the top and bottom of the screen, but also on the left of the news presenter, which is in the form of a box making it legible even from a distance. She denied that this would be make the screen look cluttered and said it had been tested amongst viewers who had liked the format.

     

    Speaking on whether there would be any changes in content, Purie said that the Group had around forty print magazines and the experience would be used for formatting shows on niche programmes on automobiles, luxury items, celebs, and so on. 

     

    Unlike most channels, the content presentation on the India Today news channel would not follow a linear pattern but would be multi-layered. 

     

    When queried on the involvement of senior journalists like Rajdeep Sardesai and Karan Thapar, Purie said that they were already established and credible names in the news world, who didn’t believe in beating around the bush but in getting the real news out. 

     

    “Their contribution will be immense in formatting various programmes,” she added.   

     

    She also confirmed that the show On The Couch with Koel would continue on the channel.

     

    While Bagga refrained to comment on the ad cap matter as it was in court, he opined that the group did not agree with the government on cross-media investments. 

     

    “No single group dominates in media fragmentation,” he said. 

     

    At the same time, he said that the group had no intention to enter FM Phase III for more radio channels.

     

    Referring to Music Today, he said that the aim had been to bring out recordings of non-film music. “While all music is now available on digital platforms, we have no intention of entering that sphere,” he added.

     

  • Kisan TV set to launch on 26 May

    Kisan TV set to launch on 26 May

    NEW DELHI: After numerous delays, Doordarshan’s Kisan TV will finally see the light of day on 26 May, 2015.

     

    The channel, which was earlier slated for formal launch on Baisakhi Day last month as a 24-hour channel devoted to farmers and rural India, will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of the Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley at a formal function in Vigyan Bhavan.

     

    While trial runs have already been on for some time, a test run which will make it available to other platforms commenced today (25 May).

     

    Jaitley had said last month that the delay had been caused as the PM was traveling.

     

    The channel, to be run by Doordarshan, was initially slated for launch on Makar Sankarti Day on 14 January, 2015.

     

    A budget of Rs 100 crore had been set aside in July last year. However, this year’s budget had cut down Kisan TV’s corpus to Rs 90 crore for 2015-16.

     

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, which also examines issues linked to the I&B Ministry had 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.

     

    The Parliamentary Committee in a subsequent report also said that the Ministry should spend Rs 35 crore, earmarked in this year’s budget for content, judiciously.

     

    The FTA channel will be available on major direct to home (DTH) platforms including Tata Sky, Videocon d2h, Dish TV apart from pubcasters’ own DTH platform Freedish. 

  • Bureaucracy continues to plague Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati

    Bureaucracy continues to plague Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati

    Today, most of the Doordarshan (DD) Kendras and AIR Stations are without Station Directors, which is the major cause for poor content and crash in TV audience of DD. The dynamic efforts of CEO, Prasar Bharati (PB) to induct media professionals into PB to checkmate stiffly competing private players has fallen on deaf ears of conservative and unimaginative bureaucracy.

     

    Despite the impetus AIR got through patronisation from the new Government in power through ‘Mann Ki Baat’ and DD getting the first right of coverage of high profile Government events at home and abroad, personnel issues continue to be in the dark almirahs of ‘babudom’.

     

    The good news is AIR continues to be number one with improved listenership in the audio universe as also with its newer additions in web streaming and mobile apps for eight of its radio channels to include Vividh Bharati, Urdu Service, FM Gold and FM Rainbow.

     

    In the absence of Prasar Bharati Recruitment and Services Board, PB has not been able to fill up even the GOM approved Group A posts of 580 Assistant Station Directors (Programmers-265 and Engineers-315) out of 3452 posts of different categories, which is the real cutting edge.

     

    In fact, even Staff Selection Commission itself which is not tasked to recruit above Group B, fell short of its target of 252 Programme Executives by 82 posts due to not being able to get suitable candidates. In any case, the Union Public Service Commission has expressed its inability to recruit Group A posts for PB, an autonomous body, since all the posts stand transferred from Government to PB under an amendment to Section 11 of PB Act 1990 from 1 April, 2000.

     

    The most important issue of non promotion of Programmers and similarly placed employees is yet not resolved by the Government although PB Board gave some interim relief through ad hoc promotions to Programme cadre employees well appreciated by all the Employees Associations.

     

    The promotion issue is still hanging fire without Government approval, compelling the promotion deprived employees to rush and knock at the doors of justice. In a recent case filed by Gurmail Chand from the Audience Research Wing of Prasar Bharati, Honourable CAT, Delhi categorically ruled endorsing PB’s competence to hold Departmental Promotion Committee meetings for all similarly placed categories.

     

    The only issue involved therefore is the onus on Government to dispel apprehension in the minds of employees of organised services viz., Indian Broadcast (Programme) Service and Indian Broadcast (Engineering) Service that they may be denied all the authorised promotional emoluments as Government servants on deemed deputation holding the posts that belong to PB.

     

    Further, the Government approved new inductees in PB numbering about 2000 need to be extended all the perquisites like CGHS, KV admissions etc to avoid future legal recourse in an autonomous PB where there are about 1000 court cases already on Conditions of Service alone.

     

    Hence , the most urgent need is to resolve personnel issues and raise the rock bottom morale of PB employees, who were once the media moguls with monopoly. But in PB, Jawhar Sircar continues his optimism while voicing concerns and rolling out ideas with brilliance. Is someone listening? Jai Hind.

     

    (The views expressed here are purely personal views of Prasar Bharati principal advisor, personnel and administration VAM Hussain and Indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to them.)

  • Doordarshan & China’s CCTV ink MoU for co-production

    Doordarshan & China’s CCTV ink MoU for co-production

    MUMBAI: Indian pubcaster Doordarshan has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Central Television (CCTV). The agreement between the two is for exchange of television programmes, promotion of co-production on themes of mutual interest and training production and technical staff.

     

    The MoU aims to help develop greater understanding between the two broadcasters and strengthen cooperation in the field of television and broadcasting. 

     

    The agreement was signed by Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar and CCTV president Nie Chen Xi. The move came after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese premier Li Keqiang expanded the cooperation between the two countries from films to television co-productions. 

     

    Sircar said that the agreement between CCTV and Doordarshan will foster better people to people understanding between the two countries.

     

    According to Sircar, the agreement will enable Doordarshan and CCTV to share programmes free of cost. The two will share programmes relating to art, culture, education, science, agriculture, entertainment, tourism, sports, news and current affairs along with human interest, development and success stories.

     

    DD and CCTV will jointly produce TV programmes on areas of mutual interest, which include documentaries on the travels of Fa Xian and Hieun Tsang to India.

     

    The MoU also envisages mechanisms to promote training for programme and technical staff of the two broadcasters through exchange and bilateral visits of DD and CCTV personnels. 

     

    The programmes exchange between the two channels will begin by the end of this year.

  • Doordarshan celebrates Mother’s Day with Prerna Awards 2015

    Doordarshan celebrates Mother’s Day with Prerna Awards 2015

    MUMBAI: On the occasion of Mother’s Day, Doordarshan will celebrate the unique bond between mother and daughter with the Prerna Awards, which is a yearly event organised by Doordharshan Sahyadri.

     

    Prerna Awards is a platform where women who have carved their own identity in various spheres express their gratitude to their mothers for the role they have played in their lives. This year’s eminent mother daughter pairs that are featured on the award show reflect the theme of “Aaj ki Mazbooti – Kal Jhalkegi.” 

     

    Some of them are award winning poet Balika Bitle and her mother Jagubai Bitle, leading fashion designer Shaina NC and her mother Munira Chudasama, Femina Miss India International 2014 Jhatlekha Malhotra and Brinda Malhotra, and the youngest Air India pilot Tanya Narula and her mother Sangeeta Narula, who also happens to be leading businesswoman in the real estate space.

     

    This year the event has been designed in a way to extract a commitment from leaders of all sections of the society to support girl child education so that it paves the way for her all round success and progress in life. The event proposes to tie up with people from cross section of society and NGOs who work towards girl child progress. 

     

    The awards will be telecast on Doordarshan on 10 May, 2015 at 9 pm.