News Broadcasting
DD to put a lone channel on UK’s BSkyB platform
NEW DELHI: Even as the Doordarshan director-general and information and broadcasting ministry secretary are in London to formally set up the European arm of Prasar Bharati, back home the organisation officials are reworking the economics to shave off expenses for taking DD channels on BSkyB platform in the UK.
The compromise formula now is to take just one channel to the UK, which would reduce the expenses.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com today, an official of Prasar Bharati, which manages DD and All India Radio, said the finance ministry had raised some objections on the expenses involved on going on to a digital platform. “But now we are reworking the proposal to cut down on the finances involved and would approach the finance ministry again next week,” the official added.
Incidentally, paring down of DDs international forays, along with some other issues like money that is owed to the organisation by superstar Amitabh Bachchan, is likely to figure in a board meet of Prasar Bharati, which is scheduled for early next week.
The proposal of two DD channels, DD News and DD International, to be on the BskyB platform would have cost Prasar Bharati Rs. 80 million annually. Plus, there were some other expenses to complete the formalities in the UK.
The Rupert Murdoch-controlled British Sky Broadcasting is the operator of the UK largest digital television platform and a leading broadcaster of sports, movies, entertainment and news.
The original proposal to take DD channels to the UK had been cleared by the Prime Ministers Office during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government.
However, some Prasar Bharati officials have also said that finance ministrys objections look trivial considering other national broadcasters from the region, like Pakistan TV, are already in markets like the US and the UK catering to people of their respective countrys origin.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
