Prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee this morning dedicated newly launched indigenous satellite INSAT 3C to the nation.

At a function at the Delhi Earth Station, Atal Behari Vajpayee also inaugurated the telemedicine project for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The function was telecast live on Doordarshan National at 11 am. ISRO chairman Dr K Kasturirangan also presented models of INSAT 3C to the prime minister and to minister of state for space Vasundhara Raje, also present on the occasion.
The INSAT 3C, that has strengthened India‘s communication, broadcast and meterological capabilities and is currently positioned 36,000 km above Earth was also instrumental in carrying the event live on DD National today, officials said.

The Indian National Satellite(INSAT) is a multipurpose space system for communication, broadcasting and meteorological services. INSAT-3C, carrying Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) transponders, Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS) transponders and Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) transponders is intended to continue the services of the earlier INSAT-2DT and INSAT-2C, which are nearing the end of their life, besides improving and augmenting the Insat system capacity.

INSAT-3C, launched on 24 January this year is the second satellite of the INSAT-3 series; the first satellite, INSAT-3B was launched in March 2000. Another three satellites INSAT-3A, INSAT-3D and INSAT-3E are planned to be launched under INSAT-3 series in the coming years. Like all other INSAT satellites, INSAT-3C is controlled from the Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka.

The telemedicine project for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on the other hand, will help provide expert medical services to rural and remote areas, helping link hospitals and remote areas through Insat satellites. The G D Pant Hospital in Port Blair will be linked to the SRNC in Chennai initially, officials announced at the function.

State-owned pubcaster Doordarshan is getting gung-ho about DD Metro under new director-general S.Y. Quraishi. The reason: out of the 35 prime time slots on DD Metro all have been booked and "people are there in queue for some slots to be allotted," Quraishi said.
A scenario that was quite common in the late eighties and mid-nineties when private producers made a beeline for DD. But then frequent changes in policy and the arbit changes in schedules led to producers fleeing the network. As well as audiences.
Last year its year long partnership with the Kerry Packer Mahendra Nahata promoted HFCL-Nine fell apart after the government decided not to further proceed with the relationship. Channel Nine - led by Ravina Raj Kohli - had taken on specific prime time slots at an exorbitant price of Rs 1210 million and branded them as Nine Gold, giving DD the look and feel of a private satellite TV channel.

Quraishi admitted that DD‘s viewership may not be very high at the moment, but efforts are on to rectify this through proper tapping of data from non-cable areas where only DD reaches through its various channels.

Twelve new programmes are already on air on DD Metro and some 17 others are expected by the end of this month.

Expect the battle for Indian eyeballs to get bloodier and messier, even as Star India and Sony are launching new shows, Zee has added chutzpah to its programming and Sahara TV is going on a rampage with Hindi movies.