NEW DELHI: Doordarshan Kashir will become a 24-hour channel from 15 August. The channel launched on Republic Day 2000, at present telecasts 14-1/2 hours of programmes daily.
Out of these,commissioned programmes account for six hours, another four and half hours are taken by in-house and news/current affairs programmes while the archival programmes take four hours daily. The special audience programmes cover Gojri, Pahari, Ladakhi, Dogri, Sheena, Balti, Pushtu, Bhadarwahi and Punjabi audiences.
At a meeting to review the progress of the Special J&K Package, the minister of information & broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad was informed that the project is nearing completion and Rs 2563.6 million out of an outlay of Rs. 3796.3 million have been spent. 975 programmes have been commissioned so far.
Some of the current affairs programmes like Date Line Kashmir, Kashmir Now, Kashmir Nama, Pakistan Reporter, Sarhad Ke Do Rukh, PTV Sach Kya Hai and Pukhta Saboot are very popular. Commissioned programmes include serials on children, women, youth, sports, career counseling etc.
Out of the 112 infra-structural projects envisaged, 109 have already been commissioned. The completed projects include HPT Srinagar, 12 LPTS, 60 VLPTS, upgradation of eight VLPTS, 10 maintenance centres, two DSNGs and a studio at Leh. Three satellite uplinks at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh have been commissioned, HPT at Poonch for DD-2 commissioned and an interim set up is also commissioned for DD-1&2 at Naushera, Gurez, Samba and Kupwara. At Tithwal, interim set up is expected to be completed by June this year, according to a statement from the Press Information Bureau.
The strengthening of the DD transmitters and other infrastructure has not only extended DD coverage to the far flung and inaccessible areas within J&K but also extended coverage to large areas in Pakistan and the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir countering the propaganda from across the border. The improvement, both in the content and infrastructure has helped in focusing on the foreign mercenaries fighting a war as profession, highlighting the negative effects of militancy in Kashmir and its fall out, rich and established secular principles of India and J&K and India's inherent unity in diversity besides providing healthy entertainment.
