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By APD writer Rishika Chauhan
**NEW DELHI, Feb. 13 (APD) ** - In a recent interview, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani said the timing was right for the state-owned broadcaster to launch a news channel focused on India for the international market.
Smriti Irani, Union Information and
Broadcasting Minister
However, she added that a decision had not been made yet. Irani said that the state-owned Doordarshan’s content was not as good as the private news channels and significant improvements have to be made.
She informed Hindustan Times that her focus was on communication in local and regional languages. “ I am hoping that the CEO of Prasar Bharti can make some big-bang changes. Most countries have lots of private channels but they also have a good public service broadcaster. What will it take for Doordarshan to grow into that? The quality has to improve,” she said.
“Doordarshan has to compete with private news and general entertainment channels. I know that the Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati wants to enhance the quality of content. No other channel has the kind of reach Doordarshan has”, she added.
The minister said that what her department was looking for were communication hubs in different parts of India. The state-owned broadcaster covered every province capital and the goal was to reach every citizen platform in every language and across the country.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
