DTH rollout

Doordarshan is all set to roll out its own free to air direct- to-home(DTH) platform this month. The Doordarshan DTH will make available Sun Network, Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, BBC World, Zee Network, besides its own bouquet of channels.

"We shall make available about 40 channels via our DTH platform shortly. With the new platform , we shall also be able to provide for 20 radio channels," said S Jaipal Reddy, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Culture.

To be able to access the Doordarshan DTH platform, consumers will have to make a one-time purchase of a set-top-box and a dish antenna. There will be no monthly subscription fees for the service.

"We are thinking of launching a double radio revolution. With the new technology there is scope for 400 new FM stations in the private sector in the next few years. All India Radio(AIR) will grow from strength to strength and we shall cover 50 per cent of India's population in two years from the present coverage of 30 per cent," added Reddy.

However, the law forbidding foreign companies from launching radio news stations will continue to stay. There are also plans to encourage community radio stations by easing the multi-fold restrictions as there was a felt need that it had not picked up because of the present entry norms.

"The community radio rules will be simplified so that colleges and universities will be able to launch their own community radio stations. The cost is a mere Rs 10 lakh and the role of community radio is manifold," explained Reddy. At the current levels of technology more than 4,000 community radio stations can be accomodated.

There are also plans to digitise all classical music from the archives of AIR and market them in the form of CDs and tapes.

"Besides music being digitised we shall also bring out tapes and CDs of the speeches made by our great national leaders like Gandhi, Netaji, Aurobindo and Sardar Patel," remarked Reddy.

Tangible and intangible heritage of the nation like temples, folks arts, dance forms and vedic chanting will also be digitised so that they can be accessed via the internet by research scholars and others interested in India's culture.

The minister also assured that Doordarshan will bag the terrestrial rights for all the International cricket matches that will be played in India.