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Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the studios and transmitters. Doordarshan has started replacing its analogue transmitters to digital transmitters, which will allow up to 8 channels to be carried from a single transmitter. Doordarshan has a three tier programme services – National, Regional and Local. The National programmes emphasises on events and issues of interest to the entire nation. These programmes includes news, current affairs, magazine programmes and documentaries on science, art, culture, environment, social issues, serials, music, dance, drama and feature films. The regional programmes are beamed on DD National at specific time and also on the Regional Language Satellite Channels, which caters programmes for interests of a particular state in the language and idiom of that region. The local programmes are area specific and cover local issues featuring local people. Beginning
Doordarshan celebrates its anniversary on 15th September, every year as Doordarshan had a modest beginning with an experimental telecast starting in Delhi on 15 September 1959, with a small transmitter and a make shift studio. The regular daily transmission started in 1965 as a part of All India Radio. Doordarshan began a five-minute news bulletin in the same year in 1965. Pratima Puri was the first newsreader. Salma Sultan joined Doordarshan in 1967 and later became a news anchor. The television service was extended to Bombay (now Mumbai) and Amritsar in 1972. Up until 1975, only seven Indian cities had a television service and Doordarshan remained the sole provider of television in India. Television services were separated from radio on 1 April 1976. Each office of All India Radio and Doordarshan were placed under the management of two separate Director Generals in New Delhi. Finally, in 1982, Doordarshan as a National Broadcaster came into existence. Krishi Darshan was the first program telecast on Doordarshan. It commenced on 26 January 1967 and is one of the longest running programs on Indian television.
Early National Programming
The 1980s were noted for Hum Log (1984), Buniyaad (1986–87) and comedy shows like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984). Hum Log, Buniyaad, and Nukkad along with spiritual show such as Ramayan (1987–88) and Mahabharat (1989–90), Shaktimaan (1998–2005), India's First Superhero, glued millions to Doordarshan as did many other shows. Hindi film songs based programmes like Chitrahaar, Rangoli, Ek Se Badkar Ek and Superhit Muqabla. Crime thrillers like Karamchand, AparadhiKaun, Byomkesh Bakshi, Tehkikaat and JankiJasoos, etc. Shows targeted at children included the ever-popular Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Tom and Jerry cartoons, VikramAurBetaal, Malgudi Days, Tenali Rama, Potli Baba Ki etc. Other popular shows Circus, Fauji, Rani Laxhmibai, Dastan-E-Hatim Tai, AlifLaila, Wagle Ki Duniya, Tu Tu Mein Mein, Dekh Bhai Dekh, Jaspal Bhatti's Flop Show.
Nationwide Transmission
National telecasts were introduced in 1982. In the same year, colour TV was introduced in the Indian market with the live telecast of the Independence Day speech by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 15 August 1982, followed by the 1982 Asian Games which were held in Delhi. Now more than 90 percent of the Indian population can receive Doordarshan (DD National) programmes through a network of more than 1416 terrestrial transmitters. There are about 67 Doordarshan studios producing TV programmes today.
DD Free Dish
Doordarshan’s DD Free Dish is a multi-channel Free-To-Air Direct to Home (DTH) service. This service was launched in December’2004 with the modest beginning of 33 channels. This service was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. DD Free Dish has been upgraded time to time and at present Doordarshan’s DTH platform has the capacity of 80 SDTV channels along with 32 Radio channels. DD Free Dish is available in Ku-Band on GSAT-15 (at 93.5°E) having MPEG-2 DVB-S, 5 streams of channels with Downlink Frequencies -11090, 11170, 11470, 11510 and 11550 MHz. This Ku-Band DTH service provides the TV coverage throughout the Indian territory (except Andaman & Nicobar Islands). DTH signals can be received through a small sized dish receive system ( i.e. Set Top Box and Dish of size 60 to 90 cm in diameter) for which no monthly subscription fee is payable by the viewers.
A separate DTH service in C-Band with a bouquet of 10 channels has also been provided by Doordarshan exclusively for Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which is also Free-To-Air. This C-Band DTH service is available on INSAT-4B (at 93.5°E) with downlink frequency of 3925 MHz, 27500 Ksps, FEC-3/4, Pol-H, L.O.-5150MHz. This service can be received through a STB and small sized Dish Antenna (approximately 120 cm diameter) for which also no monthly subscription fee is payable by viewers.
Re-Launch of Doordarshan National
On 17 Nov, 2014, Doordarshan was re-launched with new theme of pink and purple and accompanied by a new punchline “Desh Ka Apna Channel” (country’s own channel). It was announced by Ms. Vijayalaxmi Chhabra, Former Director General Doordarshan.
DD Kisan:
The Only Channel for Farmers On 26th May 2015 Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a television channel DD Kisan dedicated to farmers, which would provide information about best agricultural practices related content, farming techniques, water conservation and organic farming etc.