MUMBAI: With an eye to keep competition from private channels at bay, Doordarshan (DD)'s Bangalore kendra has decided to make some changes in the content line-up to keep the viewers' interest up in the region-specific terrestrial channel.

The changes being envisaged include bringing in from the cold old, but popular, shows and start programmes related to infotech, biotechnology, environment sciences, health and alternative medicine.
 

On the anvil is the revival of programmes such as Hello CM, a phone-in show featuring chief minister Dharam Singh and other ministers answering questions put forth by the public. The programme will be technologically spruced up, while being more viewer friendly at the same time. DD is talking to the CM and a schedule will be finalised shortly.

In the meanwhile, DD has already begun a Know your MLA show where the general public interact with their local representatives in the state legislature on a variety of issues.
 
 

DD Bangalore's 10.00 pm prime time tri-weekly one-hour long quiz show, Thatt antha Heli, has proved to be quite popular, which is evident from the improved ratings since January 2004, Prasar Bharati officials point out. The telecast frequency of this programme will be increased to five times a week, officials say.

If revamping the programming lineup was not enoguh, Bangalore centre of DD has introduced a way to make news gathering and its transmission a more cost effective process. The move has been made possible by deploying updated technology.

Chandana channel is also holding talks with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) and the Kannada Film Producers Association (KFPA) for reviving daily telecasts of Kannada films.

Here also Chandana proposes to jazz up the proceedings while airing black and white films by having interviews of the lead characters of the films and/or the director being shown during breaks.