NEW DELHI: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that there were suggestions to repeal the Prasar Bharati Act to bring the autonomous corporation back under government control.

Replying to the discussion on the working of the Ministry, he said a Group of Ministers had been set up to go into the entire gamut of the functioning of Prasar Bharati, including staff conditions, from May 18. "The autonomous body should function on its own sound footing but except for interventions in cricket, it has no source of revenue."

The Government now proposed to bring in more quality advertisements; give "loyalty" programmes to private channels and modernise and digitalise the huge Prasar Bharati archives and records within a particular timeframe. These would then be marketed to generate resources. Similarly, the films division, the documentary section, the National Films Development Corporation, the Dance and Drama division, field publicity, the Central Board of Film Certification and the photo division would be modernised.

DTH service

He announced that by the end of the Tenth Plan, the Doordarshan platform through the Direct-to-Home television would be the largest in Asia. At the same time, a Rs. 400-crore package had been worked out to expand Doordarshan, All-India Radio and FM stations in North-Eastern States.

Responding to the concern of the House on the growing violation of Advertising and Programme Code, obscenity and wrong projection of women in television advertisements, Mr. Dasmunsi said a Comprehensive Task Force was being set up to look into the matter. The Ministry was also ready with the draft Content and Broadcasting Regulation Bill that would be introduced in the monsoon session.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail