KITE VICTERS, an educational channel from the Government of Kerala has finally achieved its presence on Direct to Home (DTH) platform with Dish TV owned D2h adding the educational channel onboard its DTH platform earlier today.
D2h now carries the Free to Air (FTA) edutainment channel KITE VICTERS on its platform at channel number 642. D2h customers in Kerala can tune into the channel to watch the edutainment programmes.
The channel was launched back in 2006 as part of Edusat initiative of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which has become popular among students, and teachers in Kerala. It started airing edutainment programmes 24 hours for a day since February 2019.
Commenting on this new initiative, Mr. Anil Dua, Executive Director & Group CEO, Dish TV India Ltd, said, “The lockdown caused by COVID-19 has hit educational institutions the hardest as they had to shut down at short notice right in the middle of the term. We are pleased to broadcast KITE Victers, an educational channel in Malayalam, which is being supported by Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education, Government of Kerala. All our subscribers in Kerala can now use their DishTV and D2H connections to effectively educate their children at home. This initiative is yet another step by us in delivering the best and most relevant content right at the homes of our subscribers.”
Kerala Government earlier in March wrote to Airtel Digital TV, Dish TV, Tata Sky, D2h (formerly Videocon d2h) and Sun Direct directing them to ensure mandatory broadcasting of the channel. Until yesterday, none of them heeded the Kerala Government’s call with no obligation on either DTH operators to add the channel. Whether D2h added the channel on its own or did so after follow up action by KITE is unknown. We have reached out to KITE to get an update on its earlier direction to DTH operators.
The Government had back then noted that the channel was an education channel completely loaded with numerous regional national and educational contents for students and teachers in their network.
With COVID-19 leading to lockdown across the country, educational channels run by the governments will a play a role in plugging the gap wherever students can’t access online education. MHRD is separately readying 12 Swayam Prabha channels that will be available on Airtel Digital TV and Tata Sky along with plans afoot to launch a niche channel targeting the entrepreneurial minds. Panini, Sharda, and Kishore Manch continue to air on DTH operators which had gone live earlier in April.
