Modi govt proposes 1 D-G to head both DD, AIR

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is finalising a proposal to consolidate and strengthen the news flow from its public service broadcasters, Doordarshan and All India Radio.  

The two premier news outfits, operating as public service broadcasters, would work together to improve the news gathering and dissemination abilities of the broadcasters. In an effort to streamline news flow through national broadcasters, the government is contemplating to have a single person to head the news operations. 

Sources said that the government is considering to have one director-general head operations in both organisations. It is learnt that the proposal for having one DG for Doordarshan and AIR was made as it was felt that the resources of these organisations were being underutilised. 

By combining the resources — correspondents, studios, telecast facilities and other logistics —  the government hopes to get news and broadcast it in the most efficient way. 

The move would also be significant as private FM channels are permitted to carry news bulletins of AIR in “exactly same manner” and are not allowed to source and broadcast news through any other medium, sources said.  

While Doordarshan has a terrestrial network spanning a major part of the country, the reach of AIR is even more than DD. Moreover, the number of correspondents at the disposal of the national broadcasters would also be increased if such a move is made.

Doordarshan claims to reach more than 90 per cent of the Indian population through a network of more than 1,416 terrestrial transmitters. There are about 67 Doordarshan studios producing TV programmes today.

AIR’s home service comprises 420 stations today located across the country, reaching nearly 92 per cent of the country’s area and 99.19 percent of the total population. AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 146 dialects.