The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : YSR takes a dig at private TV channels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

YSR takes a dig at private TV channels

Special Correspondent

Photo G. Krishnaswamy.

Entertaining fare: Folk dance being performed to mark the annual day celebrations of ‘Saptagiri’ channel on Tuesday. -

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday took a dig at private television channels, hinting that they were spending too much of their resources either in creating non-existent news or intruding into people’s privacy.

At the 30th annual day celebrations of Saptagiri, the Doordarshan Kendra’s channel here, he complimented the channel for its role in discharging its social responsibilities in an age when news had to compulsorily have a ‘spice’ element and hoped it would continue the good work.

In his welcome address, Doordarshan’s Hyderabad Kendra director P. Madhusudan Rao recalled the channel’s birth in 1977, when Neelam Sanjiva Reddy was the President. He sought the Chief Minister’s intervention in ensuring that cable operators beamed Saptagiri compulsorily.

Free-to-air channel

He said most operators were refraining from doing so, despite the fact that Saptagiri was a free-to-air channel. He said it would be in society’s broader interests if they were made to bring it into people’s homes. Others who participated in the celebrations were Doordarshan’s Deputy Director-General (South Zone) N.G. Srinivasa, Superintending Engineer D.S.R.B.N. Haranatha Baba, Jnanapeeth awardee C. Narayana Reddy and veteran film artiste T.L. Kantha Rao.

An impressive cultural programme followed the formal inaugural of the channel’s 30th annual day celebrations.

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