The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : `Ten channels on AIR through DTH'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

`Ten channels on AIR through DTH'

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH, SEPT. 21. Akashvani will soon air 10 channels in Indian languages through the round-the-clock Direct To Home (DTH) facility in the first phase soon, said the Superintending Engineer of AIR, Cuddapah station, P. Viswanatham, on Tuesday.

In regional languages

Addressing a press conference here, he said digital transmission of channels in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada and north- eastern languages through the radio-networking terminal would commence shortly. Listeners in any part of the country could receive programmes in the language of their choice by procuring an integrated receiver decoder, receiving terminal and rooftop antennas.

The regional programmes would be fed to Hyderabad through an ISDN line, linked to the satellite and transmitted through KU Band via the NSS 6 satellite, Mr. Viswanatham explained. The AIR would extend value-added services like rail timings, etc. through the DTH, he said. Video on demand, Internet and exclusive Carnatic and Hindustani music channels were also expected to be aired. Nine more channels would be added in the second phase, he said.

Emphasis on art forms

The In-charge Station Director, V. Vijayasaradhi, said the station covered the four Rayalaseema districts, Nellore, Prakasam and Mahabubnagar districts with a listenership of 10 lakhs. The Cuddapah station laid emphasis on airing cultural art forms, Carnatic, folk and light music. Programmes were being reoriented and would be made more lively and interactive from mid-October under the guidance of the Deputy Director-General of Southern region, N.G. Srinivasa, he stated.

The AIR staff have been trained on digital broadcasting and computers and a recent addition was the district news bulletins, Mr. Vijayasaradhi explained. It was proposed to prepare a database on the art forms of Rayalaseema region in coordination with the Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University. Efforts were on for greater involvement of the people in all the programmes, he said.

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