Chapter - 5
Prasar Bharati as Public Service Broadcaster Par Excellence
5.1 The Group attaches paramount
importance to 'public service' broadcasting - in its broadest sense, the service
provided by AIR on its Primary Channel including local radio and by Doordarshan
on DD-1 - which is a vital part of life in this country. It educates and entertains,
provides extensive news coverage and it seeks to cater to the interests of the
few as well as of the many.
5.2 In the wake of large influx nay deluge of alien entertainment,
directed to the top crust, the minority with growing purchasing power and propensity
to spend, the significance of public service broadcasting needs no over-emphasis.
The presence of mere frothy entertainment, fun and frolic can only amuse for
a while but cannot meet the real desires of people unless the fare offered is
imbued with social purpose. We believe broadcasting has a higher purpose than
the constant drive to reach out to the largest possible number of people, flattening
out in the process disparate audiences into a homogeneous mass of buyers. Crass
commercialisation hinders variety in approach and style, resulting in mere variation
of the same theme.
5.3 We are convinced that without statutory protection, public
service broadcasting will be far too vulnerable, especially in a multi-channel
scenario. Public service broadcasting needs to be structurally embedded to Prasar
Bharati so that it becomes a source of enrichment and empowerment of the masses.
5.4 The Committee is of the opinion that Prasar Bharati Corporation
should have at least one TV channel and one radio wave length dedicated to the
purpose of public service broadcasting. While the cost of running these should,
by and large, he met from Government's grant-in-aid, some elements of entertainment-oriented
programmes should also be there, partly because they would provide a certain
variety which would make people view or listen to them and partly because these
programmes will provide an opportunity to earn some commercial revenue through
advertising or sponsored programmes in order to supplement the Government's
grant-in-aid. We recommend that one or two channels can be provided exclusively
for promoting programmes based on population control, promotion of literacy,
agricultural and horticultural developments, public health, sanitation and cleanliness
all round. A special channel could be devoted both by Akashvani and Doordarshan
to education where not only will special emphasis be given to literacy promotion
but the teaching of the best teachers or professors on various subjects would
be brought within the reach of students and researchers all over our vast country.
In fields like management education or other related disciplines where there
is possibility of earning considerable revenue through sponsored programmes
or through special paid channel programmes, this should be actively promoted.
Needless to say it is open to Prasar Bharati to run, in addition to these channels
or frequencies, other channels or frequencies exclusively for entertainment.
Such channels or frequencies will have to compete with the private channels
or frequencies and may be subjected to the regulation by the proposed Radio
and Television Authority of India.
5.5 The Paswan Sub-Committee, inter alia, recommended that
broadcasting should "observe a greater degree of responsibility and sensitivity
to Indian culture and ethos and cater to the development requirement of the
country". An abstract of the Sub-Committee's recommendations is given in
Annexure-Xl. One of the fervent appeals made to this Group was for the formation
of a public broadcasting system administratively independent of the State and
commercial interest, giving access to a wide spectrum of programme makers and
affording an arena for a plurality of views and modes of expression. This Group
does not therefore rule out the possibility of the Authority prescribing that
the private licensees should also put out a certain quantum of development oriented
programmes as distinct from entertainment, plain and simple. Satellite channels,
including Open Universities and institutions of higher learning, should be encouraged
to earmark chunks if not operate separate channels, devoted to education including
literacy promotion and continuing education.
5.6 In discharging its public service broadcasting role and
having regard to the vast network and the multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic
character of our country, both Akashvani and Doordarshan must decentralise their
functions. The regional Heads and the Station Directors must be given enough
powers to generate local programmes without having to look up to the Headquarters
for direction and guidance for day-to-day operations.
5.7 The Corporation may consider giving a structure to these
regional set-ups. For the sake of cohesive functioning of various disciplines
serving in a region, the Heads of each and every discipline will report to the
Chief of the region who should be of the level of Deputy Managing Director,
who in turn will report to the Managing Director concerned. The Chief of the
region could be from any of the disciplines of the organisation or even from
outside.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 6
Chapter 7