ITV

Tag: Doordarshan

  • 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.

  • Jaitley stresses need to integrate communication across social media platforms

    Jaitley stresses need to integrate communication across social media platforms

    NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley today said the “Talkathon” serves as independent interview, which runs live on social media and taken up by all private channels as well.

     
    He added that it offered an opportunity to integrate communication across platforms as well as a direct interface with the audiences.

     
    Addressing a meeting of Consultative Committee of MPs attached to his Ministry to discuss the issue of “Harnessing role of Social Media,” he said the digital mode had become an effective medium to communicate to the wide audience while at the same time it offered opportunities to innovate.

     
    Referring to the Doordarshan (DD) app launched on 7 May, 2015, the Minister mentioned that this initiative provided an opportunity to address the needs of the audience, which followed the dissemination of information on the digital mode.

     
    Jaitley also said efforts would be made to popularize the digital mode of the 100 volumes of Mahatma Gandhi compiled by the Publications Division on the social media platforms of the Ministry. 

    At the meeting, which was also attended by Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore, a presentation was made by Secretary (I&B) Bimal Julka giving an overview of the steps and initiatives undertaken so far by the Ministry in harnessing the potential of the social media for disseminating the information relating to the important initiatives of the Government. 

    Members gave suggestions to enhance the reach of the Government coverage through All India Radio (AIR) and DD, especially in areas that required dissemination. It was emphasized that efforts needed to be taken to promote the reach of social media to those segments, which at times suffered due to lack of technological access. It was also suggested that measures need to be taken to facilitate information flow to the young target audience and institutions in rural areas. Members also suggested that content needed to be tailored consistently to address the information needs of the people. 

    Members who attended the meeting Dr. Jayakumar Jayavardhan, Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Tapas Paul, V. Sathyabama, Anil Madhav Dave, Jaya Bachchan, Dr. K. Keshava Rao, Madhusudan Mistry, Neeraj Shekhar and Vivek Gupta.

  • Govt. says DD equipment and studios not obsolete; upgradation ongoing process

    Govt. says DD equipment and studios not obsolete; upgradation ongoing process

    NEW DELHI: Denying that Doordarshan towers had become obsolete or were not being renovated, the Parliament has been informed that 62 out of 67 Doordarshan Studio Centres have been made fully digital (except camera chains).

     

    The procurement of camera chains is in progress, according to Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.

     

    He said that modernization of Doordarshan Kendras – replacing old ageing equipment and augmentation/ upgradation of facilities – was a continuous process.

     

    The minster added that schemes in this regard are formulated and implemented from time to time, depending upon availability of resources/funds.

     

    Of the 67 Studio Centres prior to 11th Plan, 23 are fully digital Studio Centres; 31 are partially digital Studio Centres; and 13 are analog Studio Centres.

     

    Replying to another question, Rathore said that Doordarshan has a network of 1412 analogue transmitters.

     

    In addition, there are eight digital High Power TV Transmitters (two each at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai), which are technically ready since December 2014 and are under test.

  • Govt failed to pay 100% salary of Prasar Bharati employees: Parliamentary Committee

    Govt failed to pay 100% salary of Prasar Bharati employees: Parliamentary Committee

    NEW DELHI: Specific steps need to be taken to improve the planning and implementation of different schemes by Prasar Bharati, a Parliamentary Standing Committee has said.

     

    It has also said the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in consultation with the Finance Ministry evolve a mechanism, which should ensure that funds once allocated at the Budget Estimate stage are not withdrawn – unless there is a major shortfall in utilization – so that the execution of planned schemes does not suffer mid-way due to want of funds. 

     

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology, which deals with I&B was making this comment in the background of being informed that despite the decent pace of utilization at the BE stage, substantial reduction of funds take place, which is undoubtedly hampering the timely execution of planned schemes.

     

    The Committee took note of the fact that the outlay for the Plan schemes pertaining to Prasar Bharati constitutes a major chunk of the total Plan outlay of the Ministry.

     

    The Ministry has taken steps to improve the planning and implementation, which includes delegation of financial power up to Rs 300 crore to the Prasar Bharati Board, restoration of sanctioning power to DGs up to Rs 20 crore and rationalizing the procurement period in Prasar Bharati. 

     

    The Committee felt that these measures would facilitate quick decision making in Prasar Bharati, paving the way for the smooth and speedy execution of approved projects. But the Committee wants the I&B Ministry to make earnest efforts to bring improvement in their overall financial performance, which will enable them to achieve the laid down physical targets.

     

    The Committee noted that during the year 2014-15, the Government had allocated Rs 436 crore under Plan funds and Rs 2001.98 crore under Non-Plan funds for Prasar Bharati to meet salary and salary related expenses. 

     

    Separately, Prasar Bharati allocates Rs 200 crore annually from its Internal and Extra-Budgetary Resources for Content Development under Software Scheme under the 12th Five Year Plan proposal. 

     

    As against the projected revenue of Rs 2195 crore, the revenue receipts of Prasar Bharati during the year 2014-15 stood at Rs 1380 crore up to February 2015, which was expected to rise to Rs 1800 crore. 

     

    The Committee was informed that in addition to adopting aggressive marketing strategies, Prasar Bharati has also undertaken measures for better publicity of programmes to augment IEBR generation. 

     

    One of the areas of concern expressed by Prasar Bharati relates to diversion of IEBR resources towards meeting Non-Plan expenditure because the Ministry have not fulfilled the obligation to pay 100 per cent salary of Government servants recruited with Prasar Bharati for the past three years.
     

     

    The Committee recommended steps should be taken for early release of payment of Rs 429 crore due to Prasar Bharati from the year 2012-13 to 2014-15. 

     

    Diversion of resources of Prasar Bharati meant for Content Development has reportedly affected revenue generation by Prasar Bharati, especially Doordarshan. In view of the Cabinet decision taken in September, 2012 wherein it was decided that all operating expenses would be met by Prasar Bharati through IEBR, except salary and salary related expenses.

  • “In Prannoy’s legacy lives a hope:” Uday Shankar

    “In Prannoy’s legacy lives a hope:” Uday Shankar

    MUMBAI: NDTV executive co-chairman Dr Prannoy Roy was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recently held Red Ink Awards 2015.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar presented the award to Roy and thanked him for giving the country and the media community “not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, industry, business and communication’ through ‘professional television journalism.”

     

    Shankar said, “Let me tell you a story. This is from when people like us had just gone to college and television had just come in. It was a device for occasional viewing. And suddenly one night, when I was looking for something interesting to do — something a little more interesting than watch Krishi Darshan on TV – there popped a show, which was talking about what was happening in the US, UK and China, and there was a young man with a beard who was presenting the show. That show was called The World This Week, and that was my first interaction with what TV was meant to be.”

     

    Talking more about Roy and the show, Shankar added, “Here we were, fed on a diet of what came out of Mandi House, and suddenly, we saw this show, which was about information, production, technology, graphics, and credibility of presentation. That was the day I decided that television was a viable and exciting career option. And when I say this here tonight, I don’t think I’m the only one who feels so.” 

     

    Shankar, during his opening remarks, said that a large number of people who came to television were drawn by the personality, charisma and opportunity or potential to contribute because of what they saw through the eyes of Prannoy Roy. 

     

    “There are a very few people who can retire — at some stage I hope he will — but there are very few people who can retire with the satisfaction that they created not just a legacy, but a whole category of intellect, an industry, business and communication,” he added.

     

    Describing the work done by Roy, Shankar said, “This country had only Doordarshan and nothing else… this country had no reference to what modern, professional television communication could be… and in came Prannoy with his vision, content, production and everything, and set these standards and thereby saved us almost two-to-two-and-a-half decades of the growth curve, the learning curve that all of us would have necessarily had to go through in order to get to a level of professional television journalism and communication.” 

     

    Roy became the reference point for Shankar, when he came to try his hand at TV. “We had The World This Week, NDTV, Prannoy Roy and his brand of journalism. And the sheen of that brand of journalism has never been dull. His legacy lives on, and in that legacy lives on a hope,” he concluded.

  • Freedish is key to Doordarshan’s turn around: Parliamentary Committee

    Freedish is key to Doordarshan’s turn around: Parliamentary Committee

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has been asked to make efforts to complete all procedural formalities so as to facilitate the expeditious execution of Doordarshan’s Freedish project.

     

     The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, which deals with MIB issues, in its report emphasized that popularization of Freedish may indeed prove to be one of the major keys, which can turn around Doordarshan in a big way, especially when it is competing with private TV channels who are providing hundreds of channels to its viewers.

     

    The Committee recognized that the idea of providing Freedish and progressive FM-ization can play vital role in shaping future roadmap for revival of Prasar Bharati.

     

    As part of its Freedish endeavour, Doordarshan has upgraded the technical infrastructure of DD Freedish DTH platform and is presently providing free to air 64 SDTV channels in MPEG-2DVB-S.

     

    The technical infrastructure of the remaining 48 SDTV channels has also been installed and tested. Once these channels are made Conditional Access System (CAS) enabled in free-to-view mode, subscribers can view these channels with a one-time annual registration.

     

    Doordarshan is planning to commission these 48 SDTV channels in Freedish MPEG-4 DVB-S2 channel mode only after implementing the CAS Service, upgrading its platform to 112 channels.

     

    This will mean upgrading its platform to 112 SDTV channels in 2015-16, but this is subject to approval of the Home Ministry regarding security clearance of one of the shortlisted CAS service providers, which is a Chinese party. The Ministry wrote to the Home Ministry on 9 March this year seeking its views on the matter.

  • DD does not envisage any new transmitters except in border areas: Rathore

    DD does not envisage any new transmitters except in border areas: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: While denying a slowdown in Doordarshan’s expansion plans, the Government said that new transmitters are not envisaged except for a few in the border areas.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told Parliament that this was in view of multichannel TV coverage having been provided in the entire country through Doordarshan’s free to air DTH service.

     

    However, as part of continuing schemes of 12th Plan, Doordarshan has set up High Power Transmitter (HPT) (interim setup) at Mehaboobnagar and a Very Low Power Transmitter (VLPT) at Joginder Nagar during the last three years. 

     

    Doordarshan has also approved five new transmitters to be set-up in Jammu and Kashmir: High Power Transmitters (DD1 & DD News) Rajouri; HPT, Natha Top (Patni Top); HPT, Himbotingla Top; and HPT, Green Ridge.

     

    A total of 21 radio channels (programmes) of AIR have been made available through DTH platform DD Freedish (Ku-band) and these can be received through a set top box all over the country including uncovered areas.

     

    Doordarshan’s terrestrial coverage is estimated to be available to about 92 per cent of population spread over 81 per cent area of the country.

     

    The areas uncovered by terrestrial transmitters along with rest of the country have been provided with multichannel TV coverage through Doordarshan’s free to air DTH service Freedish. It is possible to receive DTH signals anywhere in the country with the help of a small sized dish receive unit. Equipment for upgradation of DTH platform from 59 TV channels to 97 to 112 TV channels has been installed recently.

     

    Besides these, Doordarshan’s regular 22 channels are available on satellite mode and through cable network, which is the most preferred source of viewership and receptional viewership.

     

    DD is expanding its Freedish services for which viewers will get to see 112 channels as against 59 at present.  

  • DataVideo eyes 50% revenue from Indian market in 5-10 years

    DataVideo eyes 50% revenue from Indian market in 5-10 years

    MUMBAI: With the proliferation of digital devices and today’s ever changing market of always–on connectivity, broadcasters are looking beyond TV to stream and monetise their content.

     

    Keeping this in mind Broadcast Asia 2015 will unveil its new TV Everywhere! zone presenting the latest solutions to address increasing consumer expectations. One of these solutions is being offered will be from DataVideo, which has been participating in the summit for the last 17 years. With its slogan “Live in Seconds” it offers mobile video solutions.

     

    While currently India contributes to less then 10 per cent of the company’s overall revenues, DataVideo Singapore managing director Frank Lin is bullish on the Indian market and expects it to jump up to 50 per cent over the next five to ten years.

     

    Lin, who is optimistic about the various sports leagues coming up in India, tells Indiantelevision.com, “A lot of equipments, which are state of the art are required in sports broadcasting. How does one set up a studio? We offer a studio in a box. Through our integrated solutions, we can set up sports broadcasting equipments in 10-30 minutes of a day.”

     

    The target industries for DataVideo are broadcasting, audio video and weddings sectors along with educational and religious sectors. “Presently north, east and west regions of India are served by our Noida office and south India is served by our Cochin office,” informs Lin.

     

    Established in Taiwan in January 1985, the company has more than 200 employees worldwide. It also has close to 90 distributors in various countries.

     

    In India, Data Video works with channels like Doordarshan, ESPN, ACT TV, TV9, ETV, Zee TV etc. In the education sector, the company works with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Calicut Medical College and Manipal University.

     

    Some of their new line of products includes OBV-2800CCU, HRS 30 Field Recorder, NVS 25 Streaming Server and a SE 700 4-CH HD Switcher for the wedding video market.

     

    Broadcast Asia 2015 will be held from 2-5 June, 2015 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

     

  • Parliamentary Committee lambasts Govt on lax approach towards Sam Pitroda report

    Parliamentary Committee lambasts Govt on lax approach towards Sam Pitroda report

    NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Standing Committee has once again lashed at the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati for failing to make any headway in implementation of the Sam Pitroda Committee Recommendations.

     

    The Standing Committee on Information Technology, which also examines issues relating to the I&B Ministry, said it was “disquieting to note that there has not been much headway in the implementation of the recommendations of the report, which was presented to the Government in February 2014.”

     

    For the first time, the Parliamentary Committee, which had castigated the government on this issue just a few months earlier, has given the Ministry a period of three months in which to submit a report of action taken.

     

    It noted that the Expert Committee had been constituted to review the institutional framework of Prasar Bharati, including its relationship with the Government.

     

    “There seems to be lack of coordination and cohesion between the I&B Ministry and Prasar Bharati in so far as implementation of these recommendations are concerned, because Prasar Bharati claims to have taken several operational and policy initiatives separately, particularly in the absence of any clarity from the Government about the acceptance of the Sam Pitroda Committee’s entire range of recommendations,” the Committee said.

     

    Taking a serious note, the Parliamentary Committee said that it took “a serious view of this casual and lackadaisical approach of the Government on such an important matter.”

     

    Considering that the overall action plan of Prasar Bharati was getting delayed, the Committee recommended that the Ministry should come out with a definite action plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Committee in a time-bound manner.

     

    Meanwhile, the Committee also said the Ministry may suitably amend the provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 so that the functional autonomy of Prasar Bharati envisaged in the Act is not diluted and the much desired autonomy for the national broadcaster is secured.

     

    It noted that the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Prasar Bharati had reviewed the Prasar Bharati Act 1990 and recommended certain amendments to improve the governance in Prasar Bharati. But the Committee had been told that these contentious Sections were not covered in the GoM recommendations.

     

    The Committee said it had been given to understand that the sections in the Prasar Bharati Act 1990, which empower the Central Government to regulate the recruitment conditions in Prasar Bharati are impinging upon the autonomous character of the organization.

     

    It was informed that the Ministry is in the process of assessing and analysing the proposals made in the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Amendment Bill. 

     

  • NCERT to use Doordarshan’s archival content for educational DVDs

    NCERT to use Doordarshan’s archival content for educational DVDs

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan (DD) has tied-up with the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to share and disseminate its DD archival content in the form of educational DVDs.

     

    This novel project by NCERT aims at bringing forth a ‘Teachers Handbook in Dance, Music and Theatre’, which will be supported by multi-media packages and DVDs. This endeavor, directed towards teachers and students, will serve as multidimensional tool to disseminate arts in schools in an organised and effective manner.

     

    As a first step, a MOU was signed today between Doordarshan Archives additional director general Anita Sinha and NCERT secretary Sudeshna Sen.

     

    NCERT will identify and access the programmes available with DD-Archives. While DD will not charge NCERT for the programme content made available for the project, NCERT will pay for re-purpose, repackage and production of the identified programmes by NCERT.

     

    NCERT will disseminate the final content at its own cost and not commercially exploit the same.

     

    The MOU will initially be for a period of three years and could be extended by mutual consent.

     

    The initial phase of the project would cover Theatres of India, National symbols of India, Indian Classical Music (Vocal & Instrumental) and Folk music and Dance.

     

    This first-of-a kind project for Doordarshan is in sync with the Government’s directive to share with other Government Departments and Ministries its archival wealth, which could be utilised for public use.