JitendraKumar
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The NDA had previously planned to revamp the beleaguered channel, which was on air for nearly two decades, to bring it on par with the likes of BBC and other international state-run channels. The channel was launched in 1995 as DD World and was later renamed as DD India in 2002.
DD India is set to go off air from August 31.
The channel of the state broadcaster which relays international news, DD India, is all set to go off air on August 31 as its satellite licence expires.
The NDA had previously planned to revamp the beleaguered channel, which was on air for nearly two decades, to bring it on par with the likes of BBC and other international state-run channels.
The channel was launched in 1995 as DD World and was later renamed as DD India in 2002.
As per highly placed sources, fund crunch and government apathy despite plans to revamp the channel have led to the current situation. Sources said Prasar Bharti has not yet called for fresh bids of licence.
Prasar Bharti CEO Jawahar Sircar told MAIL TODAY that the problem has been conveyed to the board and a decision in this regard will be taken as soon as possible.
A letter from the office of the additional director general of Doordarshan said, "With effect from August 31, DD India will not be available in Hot Bird 13 platform as Deutsche Welle is not renewing its agreement with Hot Bird." Deutsche Welle is the German public service broadcaster so far distributing the channel on the Hot Bird 13 satellite. The letter has called DD India "as good as nonexistent channel".
Also, the letter says the channel had not been distributed legally in many countries as neither Doordarshan nor Prasar Bharti had valid licences to downlink signals in certain countries.
"Once you don't have the downlinking licence, the channel is as good as defunct as it cannot be viewed in foreign countries. The lack of vision for the channel so far has bugged its fate. Absence of vision has also led to fund crunch which has further added to the difficulty to salvage the channel," said a highly placed DD official requesting anonymity.
Adding to the troubles is the lack of infrastructure. Sources told MAIL TODAY that DD India, which the government wants to use as the sole window to India for international viewers, does not even have an independent studio of its own.
The daily programmes of the channel are also borrowed from other DD platforms and are cobbled into a run down. "The channel has been running on cut and paste model. News programmes are lifted from Doordarshan News, some others from DD Bharti and are then broadcast. DD India does not even have a credible data on the viewership numbers," said one of the advisors for DD.
Earlier in 2014, four channels of Doordarshan were taken off air as the Indian Navy wanted to use the beam of satellite being used to relay the channels.
The move had come at time when the government was planning to introduce 50 new channels with regard to education.
DD India to go off air once satellite licence expires : Mail Today, News - India Today
DD India is set to go off air from August 31.
The channel of the state broadcaster which relays international news, DD India, is all set to go off air on August 31 as its satellite licence expires.
The NDA had previously planned to revamp the beleaguered channel, which was on air for nearly two decades, to bring it on par with the likes of BBC and other international state-run channels.
The channel was launched in 1995 as DD World and was later renamed as DD India in 2002.
As per highly placed sources, fund crunch and government apathy despite plans to revamp the channel have led to the current situation. Sources said Prasar Bharti has not yet called for fresh bids of licence.
Prasar Bharti CEO Jawahar Sircar told MAIL TODAY that the problem has been conveyed to the board and a decision in this regard will be taken as soon as possible.
A letter from the office of the additional director general of Doordarshan said, "With effect from August 31, DD India will not be available in Hot Bird 13 platform as Deutsche Welle is not renewing its agreement with Hot Bird." Deutsche Welle is the German public service broadcaster so far distributing the channel on the Hot Bird 13 satellite. The letter has called DD India "as good as nonexistent channel".
Also, the letter says the channel had not been distributed legally in many countries as neither Doordarshan nor Prasar Bharti had valid licences to downlink signals in certain countries.
"Once you don't have the downlinking licence, the channel is as good as defunct as it cannot be viewed in foreign countries. The lack of vision for the channel so far has bugged its fate. Absence of vision has also led to fund crunch which has further added to the difficulty to salvage the channel," said a highly placed DD official requesting anonymity.
Adding to the troubles is the lack of infrastructure. Sources told MAIL TODAY that DD India, which the government wants to use as the sole window to India for international viewers, does not even have an independent studio of its own.
The daily programmes of the channel are also borrowed from other DD platforms and are cobbled into a run down. "The channel has been running on cut and paste model. News programmes are lifted from Doordarshan News, some others from DD Bharti and are then broadcast. DD India does not even have a credible data on the viewership numbers," said one of the advisors for DD.
Earlier in 2014, four channels of Doordarshan were taken off air as the Indian Navy wanted to use the beam of satellite being used to relay the channels.
The move had come at time when the government was planning to introduce 50 new channels with regard to education.
DD India to go off air once satellite licence expires : Mail Today, News - India Today
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