✍️By Special Correspondent
All India Radio, since its inception as Indian Broadcasting Corporation in 1927, has faced Technological changes from heavy valve radio to transistor radio to IC based radio to digital radio.
Similarly, Doordarshan, since its inception in September 1959 also developed through various technologies such as Black & White to Colour TV to Standard Definition to High Definition.
But these transformations from one Technology to the other was a smooth one by continuing the old technology till the listeners and viewers were prepared with the receivers to move to the new technology (simalcast).
But the unfortunate decision of Prasar Bharati Management to close down the running and healthy analogue transmitters without installation of digital transmitters and without ensuring sufficient receivers in the market will only create a vacuum in the space of India which can be influenced by the foreign terrestrial media broadcasters from bordering countries which would not be in the wider interest of our country. The following few points are very importance on considering the present situation:
AIR &Doordarshan is a unique organisation in the world entrusted with the dual responsibilities of National as well as Public Service Broadcaster.
Both these roles are clearly laid out in Section 12 of PB Act 1990.
Hon’ble Parliament of India, from time to time, decided to expand the National Broadcaster by installing AIR & DD stations across the country to ensure that information, education & entertainment reach the proud citizens at each and every part of the country.
AIR & DD stations have and is also a source of employment generation to citizens in the vicinity.
AIR &DD were never established with the responsibility of making profit either by the Hon’ble Parliament or by the Governments, due to its vital role like that of defence forces, Public Health & Government Education system etc.
But, unfortunately, Prasar Bharati, to whom the management of AIR&DD have been entrusted since 1997, has decided to close down Terrestrial Services of Doordarshan& All India Radio with the sole aim of earning revenues, comparing and competing with other private Commercial Broadcasters which are meant basically for business.
AADEE,hadsubmitted a detailed power point presentation & hand-outsin 2017 to CEO PB proposing to make PrasarBharatia financially viable andreally profitable organisation by transforming AIR & DD to digital terrestrial platform and to establish Doordarshan as the Digital Terrestrial Service Provider in the country with Geo positioned advertising services, which could generate revenues worth thousands of crores of rupees from the popular private channels.Copy of the handout, which isstill relevant,is attached.
Instead, PB management is slowly killing the National Broadcaster, under the garb Austerity measures, at the cost of the integrity and security of the country.
On one hand the present government has launched a new “PradhanMantriGaribKalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)” through which all the 81.35 Crore NFSA beneficiaries are granted 5Kg food grain at free of cost, since the outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic and on the other hand PB is forcing the same people to purchase dish antenna/Data packs to watch DD and AIR. Policy of Business over Public service being pursued by PB is contrary to its mandate.
Internet connectivity, is still not stable and is not affordable to manyacross the country. The recent studies on online education, forced due to CORONA, at various places have clearly indicated that the many households could not afford computer/mobile phones/ internet connection due to which the children suffered from basic school education.
As per the records, 18.3 Crore homes out of 24.84 Crore homes in the country have access to TV.
70 Lakh homes out of these 18.3 Crores homes do not have DTH of Cables connection, thereby purely depending on the Terrestrial services of DD.
The Terrestrial Services of AIR & DD were only dependable communication system at the time of Natural Disasters & National calamities.
Analogue services can be viewed just by keeping the antenna/cable point in the TV set open there by the not necessary to install Yagi antenna on top of the houses.
Enemies from outside and inside of the country can interrupt/block satellite and internet systems with the support of technology, whereas it is not possible on Terrestrial services.
Terrestrial Signals from bordering countries can influence the populace at the border areas in the absence of our own terrestrial services.
Almost all countries across the world still continue to have the Terrestrial services in the interest of the integrity and security of the country, despite adoption of additional systems of broadcasting which is only a complimentary to the traditional system and not as a replacement as conceived by the PB Management.
They have already submitted a detailed representation with all the facts to the Hon’ble Minister for I&B requesting his kind intervention to protect AIR&DD, the National & Public Service Broadcaster.