| Announcing the appointments, Prasar Bharati CEO KS
Sarma said that with this both the organizations would have full-time
DGs and he can be free to pursue the broader vision of India's pubcaster
Prasar Bharati.
According to Sarma, the organization is negotiating with distributors
and platforms in the US and the UK for beaming of DD international
channel as also Indian language channels in Punjabi, Telugu, Gujarati
amongst others.
Prasar Bharati would hold parleys with the Rupert Murdoch-controlled
BSkyB in the UK for the carriage of DD channels and the talks are
expected to be held next week in London when Sarma and other ministry
officials go there.
For the carriage of DD channels abroad, global tenders had been
floated four times. In the US, Globescat has the rights for distributing
DD India (the international channel) on DTH and cable systems. As
part of this deal, Prasar Bharati is earning $ 80,000 per year,
Sarma said.
As part of another expansion process, Prasar Bharati has decided
to start two classical music radio channels in Lucknow and Bangalore
from 26 January. Alongside, a 24-hour news channel on radio would
also be launched on
Republic Day. Additionally, more language programming would be introduced
for Delhi listeners, said Sarma.
Commenting on external services division of All India Radio, Sarma
said it has been decided by the board in a recent meeting that some
external services should be shut as the ministry of external affairs
is supposed to bear the expenses which is "not happening"
at the moment.
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