Govt taking steps to modernise Doordarshan: I&B Minister tells Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Government has taken a number of steps to modernise Doordarshan news and entertainment channels by bringing in latest technology, strengthening regional bureaux and hiring fresh talent, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Observing that DD News provides “only news and complete news” and a vast population of the country continue to watch it, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said, “modernisation process of Doordarshan is on. New technology is being brought, regional bureaux are being strengthened, fresh talent are being hired and salaries increased.” [caption id=“attachment_2756122” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Doordarshan logo. Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Minister was responding to a question by Congress member Ranjeet Ranjan who said that when “people get headache after watching private TV news channels”, they switch over to state-run DD News. He said that government will soon bring a new entertainment policy where slots will be sold so that more entertainment programmes could be telecast. Responding to BJP member Virendra Singh’s complaint that TV channels gave too much importance on telecasting cricket matches, he said a kabaddi league could be started and all such matches could be shown through DD Kisan channel. Rathore said that Doordarshan had recently shown a reality programme on folk songs of the country which became immensely popular and several private channels too started similar programmes. The Minister said that it was Doordarshan’s constant endeavour to improve upon its programmes by reviewing content and quality from time to time with the view to sustain the interest of the viewers. “Doordarshan has been procuring content through various notified schemes such as self finance commissioning, revenue sharing mode producers, advertisement funded programme and acquisition category,” he said.