I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati asked to rework DD News proposal
NEW DELHI: Doordarshan News just cannot keep away from controversies, it seems.
India’s pubcaster Prasar Bharati, which oversees the functioning of DD and All India Radio, has been asked by the finance ministry to rework its fund-needing proposal for DD News as there is no or very little revenue projection for the news channel that would be run on taxpayers’ money.
DD News is slated to be re-launched later this year after having an 18-month stint on air from 2001.
According to government sources, the finance ministry mandarins, after going through the DD News relaunch proposal, envisaging an additional funding of Rs 1320 million per annum (current financial year’s demand is about Rs 700 million), have pointed out that the proposal looks a bit weird as no revenue projections have been given.
When contacted, a senior executive of the Prasar Bharati Corporation admitted today that the government has asked it to “prune the proposed expenditure on DD News channel.”
“Any serious news channel, even if that comes from the public broadcaster, should have a revenue stream and revenue projections,” a senior government official said, pointing out that the DD News proposal “does not have much of revenue projections till 2005, which looks absurd.”
The government official further pointed out that if revenue projections are given, then those figures could be adjusted against the government aid to be forwarded to Prasar Bharati for the DD News channel. “It seems that Prasar Bharati is undertaking some changes in its proposal for DD News,” the official added.
Surprisingly, Prasar Bharati in its proposal for DD News had also made provisions for hiring some 800-odd extra people — a request that looks strange considering the huge over-40-000 strong workforce already at its disposal in DD and AIR.
See earlier story-
DD News relaunch costs pegged at Rs 1.3 billion
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
