The Hindu : New Delhi News : `Relevance of public broadcasters being rediscovered'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 16, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

`Relevance of public broadcasters being rediscovered'

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 15. Conceding the need for a strategy to meet the demands of a technology-driven broadcast market, the Prasar Bharati CEO, K.S. Sarma, today said the relevance of public broadcasters is being rediscovered in an era of mushrooming private channels and that the public broadcaster is fast adopting and adapting to new technology to face the challenge.

Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day convention of the All India Radio and Doordarshan Engineers' Association, Mr. Sarma said that Prasar Bharati was determined to take advantage of technological improvisations as the broadcast market is driven by technology, and public broadcasters need to respond to the need.

Applauding the services of engineers in the use of latest technologies -- especially in the setting up of Direct to Home Services (DTH) in just nine months -- he said engineers were contributing to revenue generation even at the lowest level. While pointing out that experts have been expressing the viewpoint that public broadcasters cannot ignore market dynamics as technology is changing fast, he said "We have certainly a role to play in the future and we have to devise a strategy to meet the needs of people. While value systems in society are changing, public broadcasters tend to think that we have the same values as we had earlier."

Calling for a cadre review of engineers from All India Radio and Doordarshan to end "disgruntlement" and dissatisfaction among the employees, former Chief Justice of India, G.B. Patnaik, said the Government should work towards strengthening Prasar Bharati.

The inaugural session was followed by a seminar on `Public Service Broadcasting -- Challenges, Viability and Role of Government" and another on "Transition from Government to Corporation -- Experiences and Options" in the second part of the day.

Also present at the event was former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Rajinder Sacchar, who while pointing out that both AIR and DD help contribute towards the economic and social development of the country, remarked that experts should ponder on ways to ensure continuous Government support for the two public broadcast channels.

Deliberating on the issues of pending cadre review, financial viability of Prasar Bharati, withdrawal of legitimate employee facilities and separation of hardware and software sector in the broadcast sector among other things, the seminar also saw experts reiterate that the role of public broadcasting was to help spread social messages and not make profit.

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