India’s Doordarshan Goes Global; To Telecast Programmes In Europe, Middle East

Doordarshan, India’s national broadcaster, is getting churned up with Narendra Modi-led government’s emphasis on the state-run media. Doordarshan is set to go global in January next year when it will be beamed free of cost to 120 million homes in Europe and Middle East, as per Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials.

After the polls in Maharashtra and Haryana, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar will hold the first inter-ministerial meeting of secretaries of ministries of external affairs, information and broadcasting, tourism, culture and home affairs to chalk out the content to be aired in these countries. Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar said that a deadline and a consultative group for the project will be decided in the meeting.

"We need to finalise right content to project a new, dynamic India. The new aspirations of India have to be portrayed in a manner that European and Middle Eastern audiences would appreciate and understand. Expert advice of ambassadors who have worked in these countries would be useful, as would be those of TV professionals who have foreign experience," he said.

Doordarshan has also revived a project of digitisation of its terrestrial transmitters.