| The voices of apprehension have been bolstered by the
fact that DD's efforts to get on its DTH platform some popular free
to air entertainment channels haven't borne much fruit thus far. The
FTA channels that have agreed to join the platform include the likes
of the Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU) two channels
Eklavya TV and Vyasa TV and religious channels like Sadhna TV and
DD's own channels.
In a meeting late last week, the DTH issue was discussed by some
top DD officials in the presence of director-general of DD, Naveen
Kumar, where it was felt that the venture would fail to have the
desired effect, especially when considering the money being poured
in.
The Planning Commission, a government think tank on economic policies,
had last year okayed Rs 5 billion for the DTH project. The sum was
to be invested over a period of five years. The mega plans were
announced last year by the then information and broadcasting minister
Ravi Shankar Prasad. Subsequently the Cabinet had given its stamp
of approval to DD's expansion plans.
A source in Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and
sibling All India Radio, admitted to indiantelevision.com that in
the meeting held last week one particular deputy director-general
even brought up the point of the absence of a business plan and
the lack of commercial viability of the proposed venture even though
the outflow would be
there.
For example, it has been pointed out, that DD would
have to pay The Netherlands-based New Skies Satellites
approximately Rs 300 million for transponder space for the DTH venture.
Since the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) does not have
additional and adequate transponder capacity on its existing satellites,
which are marketed under the brand name Insat, DD's DTRH service
was to be put on NSS-6.
Out of the total aid okayed by Planning Commission, DD
has already invested approximately Rs 1.3 billion in
setting up an earth station in Delhi for the proposed DTH venture.
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