The Hindu : Finance Ministry clears DD news channel

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2003

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Finance Ministry clears DD news channel

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI SEPT. 29. Doordarshan's 24-hour news channel could well become a reality by the year-end with the proposal now slated for Cabinet approval. The last hurdle in the project was cleared this weekend with the Finance Ministry finally agreeing to allocate Rs. 55 crores for it.

Earlier this month, the Finance Ministry had turned down Prasar Bharati's proposal for starting a round-the-clock news channel as the public broadcaster had not made any revenue projections for the venture and had sought an annual allocation of Rs. 130 crores. This apart, permission had been sought to hire about 800 employees.

Taking exception to the manner in which the public broadcaster did not see revenue-earning as a part of its mandate and averring that such an attitude would impact upon programming, the Finance Ministry asked Prasar Bharati and Information & Broadcasting Ministry officials to re-work the proposal with revenue projections. Though in the new proposal, the budget was pegged at Rs. 90 crores, the Finance Ministry brought it down further to Rs. 55 crores, and the public broadcaster has been allowed to take in new staff only on a contractual basis.

Should the Cabinet clear the proposal, plans are on the anvil to launch the channel by the year-end; less than two years after the Government decided to do away with the earlier incarnate of its 24-hour news channel.

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