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The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sh S.Jaipal Reddy said today that financial autonomy of Public Broadcaster was essential for giving true autonomy to Doordarshan and All India Radio. Speaking at a seminar on "A Decade of Citizen’s Initiative " organized by Jan Prasar , he said all non-governmental organizations and academicians engaged in the field of mass-communication should come forward and work towards creating an enabling environment conducive for creating of model in which financial autonomy of Prasar Bharati can be ensured.
He said during his last tenure in the Ministry of I&B, he had worked towards a bill aimed at annual license fee , which was criticized by manufacturers of television sets. He said financial autonomy to Prasar Bharti was essential to take it out of governmental control. With nearly two third of expenditure being funded by the Government, it was not possible to stop Government intervention, he said.
Sh Reddy also announced that Prasar Bharti was all set to launch its DTH later this month which will initially have 30 channels which will include 14 channels of Doordarshan. The number of channels would go to 40 by yearend. The main feature of DTH service is that it will be available to the people free of cost. They will have to make onetime investment of Rs. 3,000 only for buying the set.
On future of FM and Community radio, the Minister said a regime enabling huge expansion was being worked out. Efforts were on to simplify and rationalize procedures in allowing setting up of community radio. He said the country could have up to 4,000 community radio stations and over 400 FM radio stations.
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