ITV

Tag: Prasar Bharati

  • 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.’ 

  • 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.)

  • 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.

  • DD News goes mobile, launches app

    DD News goes mobile, launches app

    MUMBAI: In its efforts to make the channel available far and wide especially on new platforms, DD News has launched the new mobile app to make live TV, news feed and top videos available on smart phones. 

     

    The app was launched by the Finance, Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley. 

     

    The DD News mobile app has a user friendly interface and is available even in poor network conditions. Both Android and iPhone versions of the app are available. 

     

    Speaking at the launch he said that in view of the multifarious channels of information dissemination, the objective presentation of news should never become a casualty. While the news domain currently was event based, competitive and anchor driven, there still existed space for news based on facts and correct information. The audience for information was extremely keen to have a comprehensive view of issues and events. At the same time the credibility of presenting objective news depended on the ability to update information consistently. 

    Elaborating further, Jaitley said that the launch of the application by DD News was an important milestone for Prasar Bharati as it catered to the information needs of the pan-Indian audience. It also provided DD News a platform to instantly communicate the objective news on a 24×7 basis and added a new dimension to its profile in addressing the vast needs of the Indian audience. The app also seeks to adress the changing profile of viewers who today sought information through the app mode.

     

     

    Regarding the e-version of India-2015 and Bharat-2015, Jaitley said the availability of these publications on e-mode would enable the digital medium audience to utilize the wealth of information on India at large. By placing itself on the digital mode, Publications Division was in tune with the contemporary changes taking place in the publications industry. It was imperative to constantly and consistently improve the ongoing efforts to go digital. The focus of the e-book was to present the content in a multi-media, reader friendly format with pictures and embedded videos. 

    The e-version of the India/ Bharat-2015, reference annual was aimed at providing better reading experience to public. These e-books are easily downloadable and supported by major operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows etc. The e-India / e-Bharat has a variety of reader-friendly features like search ability, hyperlinks, easy referencing, assured back up and retrieval.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Parliamentary Committee regrets 17 years’ delay in transferring land resources to Prasar Bharati

    Parliamentary Committee regrets 17 years’ delay in transferring land resources to Prasar Bharati

    NEW DELHI: A Parliamentary Committee has said that it finds it “very hard to believe that even after a lapse of 17 years, the Centre has not formulated the terms and conditions of transfer” of certain property and assets to Prasar Bharati help the pubcaster monetize these.

     

    Since Prasar Bharati needs funds, and monetization of land can provide the much needed revenue, the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology, which also examines Information and Broadcasting, has suggested that “while complete inventorisation is undertaken, simultaneous efforts may be made to unlock the value of a few select identified properties as a ‘pilot case.’”

     

    The Committee had been given to understand that Prasar Bharati had submitted certain proposals to the Ministry for monetization of available land resources for garnering revenue, which could be effectively utilized by them for development purposes.

     

    However, these proposals are yet to be approved by the Ministry pending fulfillment of procedural formalities required under provisions of the Prasar Bharati Act 1990.

     

    Under Section 16 of the Prasar Bharati Act, all property and assets shall stand transferred to (Prasar Bharati) on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Central Government and the book value of all such property and assets shall be treated as the capital provided by the Central Government to the Corporation, on the terms and conditions to be determined by the Central Government.

     

    Noting that the Cabinet approved the proposal for financial restructuring of Prasar Bharati in September 2012, the Committee has expressed surprise that no action has been taken as yet.

     

    According to the Ministry, the Cabinet decision/approval has to be effected on issue of formal transfer order spelling out the terms and conditions after completion of inventorisation of all assets under them.

  • Prasar Bharati’s Dr A Surya Prakash nominated as member of NMML Society

    Prasar Bharati’s Dr A Surya Prakash nominated as member of NMML Society

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati chairman Dr A Surya Prakash has been nominated by the Central Government as a member of the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) Society.

     

    The NMML Society is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

     

    The NMML plays a key role as a resource centre for promotion of study and research in the field of modern and contemporary Indian history. It organizes lectures, seminars etc. in India and abroad to promote and foster academic contacts within India as well as with other countries through exchange of personnel and research materials.

     

    Prakash is an author, a columnist and a leading commentator on Indian Constitutional and Parliamentary issues and Governance. He has held key positions in several print and electronic media organisations of repute. He has also been a media teacher, having taught media law and ethics.