Tag: Prasar Bharati

Budget ’17: Prasar Bharati grant-in-aid down, film sector’s aid up

NEW DELHI: The grant-in-aid for Prasar Bharati has come down marginally from the revised estimates from Rs 4500 million in 2016-17 to Rs 4300 million for 2017-18.

This includes a grants-in-aid to the pubcaster of Rs 3500 million and a separate grant-in-aid to it for the Kisan Channel of Rs 800 million which is higher than last year’s Rs 600 million.

In addition, there is support of Rs 29,967 million for 2017-18 against Rs 27,168.6 million in 2016-17 in the allocation of support to autonomous bodies. But, there is no investment in the head of public sector undertakings in Prasar Bharati, unlike last year.

An explanatory note says the grants-in-aid is being provided to cover the gap in resources of Prasar Bharati in meeting its revenue expenditure.

(Expenditure on salaries of Prasar Bharati has fallen on the shoulders of the government since all Prasar Bharati employees who were in employment as on 5 October 2007 have been given deemed deputation status.)

The total budget of the information and broadcasting ministry has been raised to Rs 44,090 million against Rs 40836.3 million.

There is a separate allocation of Rs 230 million for strengthening broadcasting activities which covers community radio (Rs 40 million), Electronic Media Centre (Rs 120 million), Mission Digitisation (Rs 50 million) and automation of broadcasting wing (Rs 20 million).

This is less than last year’s allocation in this head of Rs 308.3 million.

The allocation for the film sector has been raised to Rs 2070 million, and covers the National Museum of Cinema, Development communication and Dissemination of filmic content, Infrastructure Development Programme relating to the film sector, and Mission/Special projects which gets a massive increase to Rs 1100.1 million as compared to Rs 170.1 million last year. This allocation is for the Umbrella Programme Missions / Special Project includes the following Schemes:

National Film Heritage Mission (Main Secretariat), Anti-Piracy Initiatives and Setting up a National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Gaming and Special Effects (coming up in Mumbai).

There is an allocation of Rs 180 million for mass communication which includes upgradation of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication to international standards and opening regional centres of IIMC.

The allocation under ‘Secretariat – Social services’ has been raised Rs 795.2 million as compared to Rs 703.2 million, and art and culture to Rs 102.3 million. information and publicity gets Rs 4059.9 million for various programmes which include Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity; Press Information Bureau, Field Publicity, Song and Drama Division, Publications Division, Photo Division, Registrar of Newspapers in India and other media units.

After seven years in a row, the government has announced investment in the National Film Development Corporation to the tune of Rs 125.4 million.

There is a marginal increase in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 842 million against Rs 800 million last year.

There is an allocation of Rs 30,732.6 million as support to autonomous bodies which apart from Prasar Bharati, also has allocations for the Film and Television Institute of India, Satyajit Ray FTII, Press Council of India, IIMC, and Children’s Film Society, India.

February 2, 2017
Prasar Bharati to work with Emirates News Agency in programming and news

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati and Emirates News Agency have agreed to strengthen ties through mutual exchange of programmes and news.

This was one of the 14 memorandums of understanding signed to coincide with the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India.

The MoU between Prasar Bharati and the Emirates News Agency will also exchange best practices to improve each other’s functioning.

The Crown Prince is the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parada where a unit of the UAE forces will also take part.

January 27, 2017
Prasar Bharati to work with Emirates News Agency in programming and news

NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati and Emirates News Agency have agreed to strengthen ties through mutual exchange of programmes and news.

This was one of the 14 memorandums of understanding signed to coincide with the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India.

The MoU between Prasar Bharati and the Emirates News Agency will also exchange best practices to improve each other’s functioning.

The Crown Prince is the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parada where a unit of the UAE forces will also take part.

January 27, 2017
‘Risk’ in FM stations airing news, apprehends Prasar head

MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash has said permitting private FM stations to air news might have security implications and that the government needed to keep that in mind if it were to give them the nod.

From the democracy perspective, the idea of permitting them looked ‘very simple’ and ‘must be done’, but, owing to the internal security concerns and diversity of India, which had thousands of kilometres of borders, the initiative had a ‘lot of implications,’ he said, PTI reported from Hyderabad.

As some months ago, the government auctioned frequency bandwidth, new FM channels were going to come. And, thus, he said that one needed to seriously ponder over whether to allow FM channels to air news.

While it was correct that private TV channels had been allowed to telecast news, radio, he said, had a ‘different audience and different kind of reach.

Also Read:

TV Today not selling 3 FM stations to ENIL; seeks MIB nod for migration

Big FM, India Today deals: Zee Media seeks shareholder nod for loans

Highlight women’s rights, broadcasters told

January 16, 2017
‘Risk’ in FM stations airing news, apprehends Prasar head

MUMBAI: Prasar Bharati chairman A Surya Prakash has said permitting private FM stations to air news might have security implications and that the government needed to keep that in mind if it were to give them the nod.

From the democracy perspective, the idea of permitting them looked ‘very simple’ and ‘must be done’, but, owing to the internal security concerns and diversity of India, which had thousands of kilometres of borders, the initiative had a ‘lot of implications,’ he said, PTI reported from Hyderabad.

As some months ago, the government auctioned frequency bandwidth, new FM channels were going to come. And, thus, he said that one needed to seriously ponder over whether to allow FM channels to air news.

While it was correct that private TV channels had been allowed to telecast news, radio, he said, had a ‘different audience and different kind of reach.

Also Read:

TV Today not selling 3 FM stations to ENIL; seeks MIB nod for migration

Big FM, India Today deals: Zee Media seeks shareholder nod for loans

Highlight women’s rights, broadcasters told

January 16, 2017
Int’l TV Fest: A-Pac Broadcasting Union’s two India teams to participate

NEW DELHI: The ‘Aamad’ group and ‘Sadhya’ group from India will compete in the grand finale of the first edition of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Television Dance Festival (AIDF) in the city of the ‘Char Minar’ Hyderabad on 15 January 2017.

Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati is hosting the first edition of this mega event at Shilpakala Vedika in the hi-tech part of Hyderabad.

AIDF will showcase traditional and contemporary dance performances by artistes of more than ten counties across the Asia- pacific region. The Dance Festival is conceptualised to bring the cultural diversities from across the world into limelight, by breaking cultural barriers. It will unveil the sacred occasions when people dance, and the joys that varied communities across the Asia Pacific region feel as they dance.

Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the AIDF festival. Telengana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao will be the Guest of Honour. Telengana Culture and Tourism Minister Azmeera Chandulal and Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash will also be present in the presence of other top officials of the I&B Ministry, Prasar Bharati and Telangana Government.

Countries that have so far confirmed participation are Maldives, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, The Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and Indonesia.

Two declared finalists from each country; one in ‘contemporary’ dance form and the other in ‘traditional’ dance form, will participate in the grand finale. All participating dance groups are between the age group of 18 to 25 years.

Prasar Bharati had started the selection process in June last year to select the teams that will represent India in the grand finale. In order to select the final entries, artistes were invited and they were asked to submit DVDs of their work in traditional or contemporary dance, for shortlisting purpose. These submissions were made online and offline as well.

A total of 453 entries were received, out of which 389 were made on-line and 64 were by post. Eventually, 210 videos were selected by the first Screening Committee.

After the final screening, 29 entries were chosen from the two categories.
The Festival is planned to be telecast live on DD India, DD Bharati, DD Urdu, DD Saptagiri and DD Yadagiri from 5:30 p:m onwards on 15 January 2017.

The pubcaster has created a dedicated website aidf.prasarbharati.org and is available on social media at facebook.com/DanceFestABU and twitter.com/DanceFestABU.

January 14, 2017
Int’l TV Fest: A-Pac Broadcasting Union’s two India teams to participate

NEW DELHI: The ‘Aamad’ group and ‘Sadhya’ group from India will compete in the grand finale of the first edition of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) International Television Dance Festival (AIDF) in the city of the ‘Char Minar’ Hyderabad on 15 January 2017.

Public service broadcaster Prasar Bharati is hosting the first edition of this mega event at Shilpakala Vedika in the hi-tech part of Hyderabad.

AIDF will showcase traditional and contemporary dance performances by artistes of more than ten counties across the Asia- pacific region. The Dance Festival is conceptualised to bring the cultural diversities from across the world into limelight, by breaking cultural barriers. It will unveil the sacred occasions when people dance, and the joys that varied communities across the Asia Pacific region feel as they dance.

Information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the AIDF festival. Telengana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao will be the Guest of Honour. Telengana Culture and Tourism Minister Azmeera Chandulal and Prasar Bharati Chairman A Surya Prakash will also be present in the presence of other top officials of the I&B Ministry, Prasar Bharati and Telangana Government.

Countries that have so far confirmed participation are Maldives, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, The Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and Indonesia.

Two declared finalists from each country; one in ‘contemporary’ dance form and the other in ‘traditional’ dance form, will participate in the grand finale. All participating dance groups are between the age group of 18 to 25 years.

Prasar Bharati had started the selection process in June last year to select the teams that will represent India in the grand finale. In order to select the final entries, artistes were invited and they were asked to submit DVDs of their work in traditional or contemporary dance, for shortlisting purpose. These submissions were made online and offline as well.

A total of 453 entries were received, out of which 389 were made on-line and 64 were by post. Eventually, 210 videos were selected by the first Screening Committee.

After the final screening, 29 entries were chosen from the two categories.
The Festival is planned to be telecast live on DD India, DD Bharati, DD Urdu, DD Saptagiri and DD Yadagiri from 5:30 p:m onwards on 15 January 2017.

The pubcaster has created a dedicated website aidf.prasarbharati.org and is available on social media at facebook.com/DanceFestABU and twitter.com/DanceFestABU.

January 14, 2017
Rs 100 million added to DD & N-E regional units’ allocation

NEW DELHI: Doordarshan News and 30 regional news units (RNU) have been allocated an additional Rs 100.8 million for the current year, taking the total allocation to about Rs 474 million for expenses that include payment to stringers and to the news agencies — United News of India and Press Trust of India.

Of this, Prasar Bharati has sanctioned a sum of Rs 620,000 for the news agencies which includes an additional Rs 260,000 approved earlier this week.

Thus, the budget for DD News has gone up to Rs 240 million with the additional Rs 54 million.

The RNUs getting additional budget from the north-eastern states are — Agartala, Aizwal, Guwahati, Itanagar, Imphal, Kohima and Shillong. Jammu, Leh and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir will also benefit.

The other RNUs are — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hissar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jallandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shimla, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijaywada.

Also Read:

Govt denies move to stop broadcast of Hindi news bulletins from Delhi: Rathore

December 26, 2016
Rs 100 million added to DD & N-E regional units’ allocation

NEW DELHI: Doordarshan News and 30 regional news units (RNU) have been allocated an additional Rs 100.8 million for the current year, taking the total allocation to about Rs 474 million for expenses that include payment to stringers and to the news agencies — United News of India and Press Trust of India.

Of this, Prasar Bharati has sanctioned a sum of Rs 620,000 for the news agencies which includes an additional Rs 260,000 approved earlier this week.

Thus, the budget for DD News has gone up to Rs 240 million with the additional Rs 54 million.

The RNUs getting additional budget from the north-eastern states are — Agartala, Aizwal, Guwahati, Itanagar, Imphal, Kohima and Shillong. Jammu, Leh and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir will also benefit.

The other RNUs are — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hissar, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jallandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Panaji, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shimla, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijaywada.

Also Read:

Govt denies move to stop broadcast of Hindi news bulletins from Delhi: Rathore

December 26, 2016
DD’s digital terrestrial transmission meet today as TRAI paper awaits finalisation

NEW DELHI: Even as a consultation paper on Digital Terrestrial Transmission by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is pending finalisation, Doordarshan is holding a workshop with stakeholders to explore the potential of DTT services.

The workshop on “Digital Terrestrial Transmission: Business Opportunities” is being organized on 23 December 2016 in the capital and will be addressed by experts.

Experts from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, various stakeholders including Content providers, private broadcasters, receiver manufactures, and officers at Doordarshan will be participating in this workshop.

In the paper issued on 22 June 2016, TRAI wanted to know if stakeholders perceive the need for introduction of DTT in multiple broadcasting distribution platforms and what the appropriate strategy for DTT implementation across the country should be.

indiantelevision.com had earlier reported that the government was in the final stages of this exercise. Later, the website quoted then Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar as saying that the pubcaster had itself cleared this more than a year earlier, even while pointing out that this would necessitate use of the Prasar Bharati infrastructure.

DD, which presently has exclusive domain over terrestrial broadcasting, ranks amongst the world’s largest terrestrial television networks. It has a network of 1412 analog transmitters that provide TV services through two national channels namely, DD National and DD News. In addition to this, the network also broadcast several regional TV channels over the terrestrial network in a time sharing mode to meet the local and regional needs of people in different parts of the country. All TV channels provided by DD are free-to-air.

In its paper, TRAI had asked whether DTT broadcasting should be opened for participation by the private players, and which model or a combination thereof for Dtt will be most suitable in Indian context.

Trai also wanted to know what the approach for implementing DTT network (MFN/SFN/Hybrid) should be and how many digital multiplex per DTT operator should be planned for metro, major cities, urban and rural areas.

Expert opinion had also been sought on the most appropriate frequency band as per National Frequency Allocation Plan 2011 for implementation of Digital terrestrial transmission including mobile TV.

The DTT platform is flexible and content format agnostic – newer formats of TV channels such as HD TV, 3D TV, UHD TV, data and radio services etc. can thus be delivered with reduced transmission power requirements. Digitisation also allows for government bodies to reclaim spectrum and repurpose it.

With standardized DTT transmission and clear advantages in terms of effective frequency utilization as well as enhanced TV quality, many countries the world over have laid down clear roadmaps to switch-off analog terrestrial TV transmission with a transition to DTT. In India, though work for changeover from Analog terrestrial transmission to digital terrestrial transmission by DD has already commenced, a clear roadmap is however unavailable.

December 22, 2016