The Hindu : National : 17 Doordarshan channels to go global soon

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Monday, Jan 31, 2005

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National

17 Doordarshan channels to go global soon

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, JAN. 30. Prasar Bharati — India's national broadcaster — will soon give rights for telecast of 17 Doordarshan channels in 146 countries.

Two crore Indians in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries can watch DD News and other channels from the DD platform once Prasar Bharati Board takes a decision on global tenders. March 1 is the last date for receipt of tenders.

Under the package, anyone can transport DD and All India Radio (AIR) signals. Prasar Bharati will make available six national and 11 regional language DD channels and 12 radio channels.

Announcing this here on Sunday, Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer, K.S. Sarma, said DD Bharati — the flagship channel for programmes on culture and heritage — would become a `must carry' channel. A notification to this effect would be issued after the Board ratified the proposal next week.

Action would be taken under the Cable Act against those who failed to telecast DD Bharati. The Act, which only empowered District Collectors, Commissioners of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrates to take action, would be amended to enable Prasar Bharati officials to initiate action against the erring operators.

Quality improvement

He said efforts were on to improve the quality of programmes and make DD News on par with CNN and BBC. He said anchors had been changed in Delhi to make the programmes attractive and special producers were being assigned special jobs.

Mr. Sarma said they had paid Rs.1.5 crores to Gulzar for production of a programme.

With the decision to grant Rs.100 crores a year under the 10th Plan, emphasis would be on commissioned programmes.

The production chain would also be digitalised in a phased manner.

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