MUMBAI: The central government may be planning to have one director-general lead news operations in Doordarshan as well as AIR. A proposal for the plan has been drafted as it was felt that the news resources of these organisations were being underutilised.
The two pubcasters would work together and upgrade the news-gathering and dissemination capabilities, sources told DNA. In an attempt to streamline news flow through the two broadcasters, the government is contemplating to have a single administrator to lead the news operations.
By uniting the resources such as studios, telecast facilities and other logistics, the government is hoping to source and manage news and broadcast in a unique fashion. Moreover, the number of correspondents at the disposal of a joint organisation would also increase. The plan would also be crucial as private FM channels are permitted to carry news bulletins of AIR in “exactly same manner.”
While Doordarshan commands a terrestrial network across India, the reach of AIR is deeper. Through a network of over 1,415 terrestrial transmitters and over 65 studios, Doordarshan reaches over 90 per cent of the population. With programming in 23 languages and 146 dialects, AIR’s service comprises 420 stations across India reaching about 92 per cent of India, and 99.19 per cent of the population.
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