|
Year End Review 2004
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting took several initiatives during the year to further facilitate media reach to the masses and also to maintain the quality of content carried by various media channels.
DTH
Doordarshan’s Direct to Home (DTH) service launched. The project would enable the viewers access to thirty free-to-air channels, which include 17 TV channels of the DD and 13 private channels. The Ku band transmission project involved an investment of Rs. 164 crores. The channels available can be received by the viewers through installation of a Set Top Box (STB) and a small dish antenna. No separate monthly subscription charges are payable by the viewers as in the case of private DTH operator. 10,000 STBs and dish antennae will be provided for community viewing. The full set containing dish and antennae, satellite receiving equipment excluding TV receivers would be provided free of cost to institutions such as Anganwadis, Schools, Public Health Centres, Panchayats, Youth Clubs and Cooperative Societies. The number of free-to-air channels is proposed to be raised to 40. On the uplinking side, fifty-six companies have been permitted to uplink 146 channels from India.
Live Coverage of Parliament Proceedings
Doordarshan launched two exclusive channels for the live coverage of proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. India thus joins a select list of countries, which telecast live the entire proceedings of their legislative bodies.
Special Package for J&K
A special package for improvement of Doordarshan and All India Radio services in J&K at an estimated cost of Rs. 430 crore is currently under implementation. Under the package, All India Radio/Doordarshan have set up new Relay Stations/Transmitters of varying power/Studios/Earth Stations, etc., and also upgraded various existing projects. Under the special package to improve radio coverage and radio signals in J&K, there is a proposal for extending coverage of Kashir Channel for five more years with enhanced quality content in terms of software, as also efforts to improve the reception of both the Kashir Channel and general transmission in the State of J&K.
Community Radio
In order to empower local communities and encourage local participation and address local issues specially relating to the farmers and weaker sections of society, the Ministry along with DD and AIR is implementing schemes of ‘Community Radio’ and ‘narrow casting’. The narrow casting is operational from 12 LPTs in analog mode, one center each in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand and from two centers in Punjab.
Country’s first Community Radio Station became operational since 1st February 2004 at Anna University, Chennai. 26 letters of intent have been issued and 10 institutions signed License Agreements with the Ministry. Broad basing of the current policy envisages that the local communities including Gram Sabhas, Civil Services Organizations will run their own Community Radio Stations. 72 new radio stations are proposed to be set up in the country. At present, 215 All India Radio stations including 14 in Uttar Pradesh, are functioning in the country.
FM Radio
About 400 stations have been identified, which are envisaged to be utilized for expansion of private FM radio in phase II. Recommendations of TRAI have been examined and the matter is now under consideration between the Ministry and the TRAI.
Films
Several initiatives have been taken to bring about changes in the entertainment sector in the interest of the overall development of this sector. The major steps include, Institutional and bank financing are now accessible to the entertainment industry; 100% Foreign Director Investment is permissible in the sector; Government has led participation in global markets with a view to enhancing visibility of film industry; Audiovisual co-production agreements with other countries are being explored to expand avenues of finances and markets for the Indian film industry
As part of a new initiative in J&K, a nine-day film festival was held in Srinagar in November, 2004, in collaboration with the Government of J&K. The festival was inaugurated with the screening of the new colour print of the film Mughal-e-Azam and some award winning Iranian films were also shown. The festival was extremely well received. Approximately 20,000 people, both young and old, attended the festival. Festival of Children’s Films, the first of its kind, was organized in Srinagar in October, 2004 and DVDs of children’s films were distributed to army personnel.
In order to check piracy of films, the Ministry brought film producers, multi-service operators and cable operators together, and they had jointly resolved not to exhibit films without valid permission from the copyright holders. The other measures include, suggested lowering of the entertainment tax to a ceiling of 45 per cent; appointment of senior police officers in States to work in co-ordination with the entertainment industry as nodal officers and exemption of Audio CDs from excise duty to do away with the price advantage available to pirated CDs.
Copyright Enforcement cells set in most States/UT Administrations headed by a senior policy officer to deal with offences related to the Copyright Act, 1957. The Government has received a proposal to enact an Optical Disc Law and are in consultation with related Departments and the stakeholders regarding the same.
Checking vulgarity in Media
An Inter-Ministerial Committee constituted under Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 to look into the violations of the programme and advertisement codes to check vulgarity on TV and print media. Cognizance of any violations of the Codes is taken either suo-moto or on receipt of specific complaints by the Committee. Besides, any authorized officer under the aforesaid Act is empowered to prohibit any cable operator from transmitting or re-transmitting any programme or channel if it is not in conformity with the prescribed codes.
Editors’ Conference
The Economic Editors’ Conference, which could not be held in 2002 and 2003 was revived this year and was inaugurated by the Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram in the National Media Centre of Press Information Bureau. Over 350 economic editors and financial writers participated. Thirteen Union Ministers and Secretaries of the economic and infrastructure sector interacted with media persons during the Conference. PIB also organized the Fifth Editors’ Conference on Social Sector Issues-2004. More than 200 editors/senior journalists were invited for the Conference, including newspapers of vernacular languages from different parts of the country. Union Ministers and Secretaries of 12 key Ministries in the Social Sector interacted with the media persons. There was wide media coverage of the major issues.
The Conference of Editors and Working Journalists from the SAARC countries was held in New Delhi. It recommended reduction in duties on newsprint, printing machinery etc and removal of tariff restrictions on media products. The Conference also called for preservation and development of a free media including right of healthy dissent within the overall orbit of free speech.
An Outdoor Publicity campaign on ‘National Integration & Communal Harmony’ on the theme ‘Unity is our Strength’ was launched by DAVP. 1050 bus-back panels and 1000 kiosks, 2 Animations and 5 Hoardings were put on display in different cities through out the country. Besides, a campaign on ‘Arogya Health Mela’ in Delhi was undertaken and 150 kiosks, 3 hoardings and 40 inside panels were put up for display on behalf of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The Photo Division organized 16th National Photo Contest on the theme "INDIA ON THE MOVE". A total number of 948 photographs were received from 358 photographers. The Jury screened all the entries and selected 26 award winners, 13 in each section.
The 35th International Film Festival was held in Goa for the first time. During the 10-day Festival, as many as 169 films from 55 countries were screened under various sections like Asian Competition, Cinema of the World and Foreign Retrospective.
The Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) launched an online list of Certificates of Registration issued to newspaper publishers on its web-site. The list gives details such as title of the newspaper/periodical, language of publication, periodicity, place from which it is published, registration number and name of publisher. This is a step in the direction of promoting transparency in the working of RNI.
|
