Public Service Broadcasting is a major tool in initiating informed social change in people and nations through mass media. It is intended to meet community needs which exist beyond traditional, geographical, and institutional boundaries. It has traditionally been the dominant form of broadcasting in much of the world and even though with commercial broadcasting taking over much of public service broadcasting due to high viewership and resulting revenues, its importance cannot be undermined in India.

       Before talking about the role of public service broadcasting in India, it is essential to understand the meaning of such broadcasting in clear terms. Unlike private commercial broadcasting, public service broadcasting must be concerned about a broader set of clientele and a much larger mandate. It has to meet the complete media needs of all, including those of a villager sitting in the remotest hamlet of the country who has very few media options. It has to cater to persons who are either watching television or listening to radio, on a community set, in an isolated part of the country. In India, where there is multiplicity of ethnicity, religions and languages, it becomes imperative for such a service to take into account the media needs of the minority audience, whether they are ethnic, religious, or linguistic. The public service broadcaster needs to be concerned with developing taste, promote understanding, spread literacy and development, create informed debate and empower the disadvantaged - major issues that a commercial broadcaster rarely addresses. This, then, is the real raison d'être of public service broadcasting.

       The significance of public service broadcasting is immense in India due to several reasons. Firstly, pure commercial broadcasting does not meet the full needs of informing, educating, and entertaining the vast sections of population in any nation, especially those living in remote corners of towns and villages in many countries. Television rate points and salability of programs play a major role in deciding the content of shows in commercial broadcasting channels. Similarly, the private FM radio stations target the up market and more urban radio listeners. The private channel delivers to an audience and is not a vehicle for delivering new ideas, information and education to its viewers and listeners. Hence, for citizens of the country who need to be informed and educated about aspects like opportunities in various vocations, improvements in technologies, or availability and growth in various sectors, these channels have little to offer. Content on these channels may have found high entertaining value amongst the mass audiences that today reaches small towns and even villages, but this content simply does not provide the kind of specialized education and information people in this stratum of society require.

           Secondly, even if commercial broadcasting channels do offer some content that is of significance and relevance to the people in the far and remote corners of India, the low purchasing power of these citizens make this content inaccessible to them. For instance, in the past BAG Films & Media Limited produced a program for Star News titled ‘Mera Gaon Mera Desh'- a show that depicted the advancements in technology in the agricultural sector which is being adopted by farmers spread across the country. The program also showcased success stories of people in hamlets and villages who turned parched areas of land, or innovated and invented technologies that enabled better output and hence better income for each of them. The program struck a chord with those farmers and villagers who possessed the purchasing power to access cable network, but for the poor in the remotest of remote corners of our villages, the program and the content, even though of immense relevance and importance remained inaccessible.

        Thus, with pure commercial broadcasting channels, the information and education required by this vast segment of population in our country remains unfulfilled. It is public service broadcasting that fills this vacuum by ensuring that every citizen stays informed, educated, and connected with the latest happenings and events taking place in the country or opportunities that may be useful to him or her in the course of life.

         Over the years, the Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity has played a pivotal role in spreading public service messages in line with the policies of the government with view to promote informed social transformation. It is due to this sustained thrust that the country is undergoing a revolution of sorts with the empowerment of the masses. Programs like Krishi Darshan, Grameen Bharat, and Jaago Grahak Jaago have informed and educated farmers, villagers, and common citizens of the latest technologies and innovations available to them in their profession or rights and opportunities they possess as citizens of the country. These programs have informed, educated, motivated, and even entertained that vast segment of our society to which this information is vital.

        In India, public service broadcasting has been criticized for its lack of visual appeal and low standards of programming quality. With the advent of cable network reaching villages and towns in the country, the expectation of the quality of programs that inform and educate has also risen. From the period of 80s when Doordarshan and All India Radio had a monopoly, the emphasis from pushing content on viewers shifted to viewers pulling content that they choose to watch at the click of a button on the remote control. Thus today, the public broadcaster has a challenge at hand which is to ensure high quality and visual appeal in its programs too. This requires a high degree of commitment to the mission and policy by the public service broadcaster. It also requires access to appropriate funding and an organization structure which promotes credibility and creativity, while ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire operation.

         In the times of the monopoly of Doordarshan and All India Radio in the country, a program like Krishi Darshan which talked of innovations and success stories in the field of agriculture or Jaan Hai Jahaan Hai, which depicted expert advice and cure available for various diseases impacted target audience and spelt huge viewership for the channels. However with the advent of cable television, a reduction in the proportion of budgetary support, combined with pressures to raise more revenues to fund rapid expansion, forced the pace of commercialization on these broadcasting channels. Today, Doordarshan sells airtime on the basis of the size of its viewership, and it began to look for ways and means of increasing its share as the media market became increasingly more competitive. This resulted in a reduction in emphasis on public service programs, as the prime time was reserved for commercial programming which earned the most revenue. Radio underwent a similar process, though to a lesser extent.

         With revolutionary changes taking place in the media today, entertainment value has undoubtedly assumed maximum importance in broadcasting. But for the citizens who require the information and education of growth, opportunity, technological advancements, news and more, public service broadcasting's relevance remains untouched. Public service broadcasting is essential in India, and must be seen as a right of all citizens. It must provide a platform for free discourse and debate, while its content must empower people.

           Media to me is the most powerful tool in impacting, influencing, informing and educating people in our country. I believe people in our villages, towns and even cities are still plagued by superstitions and resist improvements and change. With the high illiteracy rate and poverty still plaguing our nation, in my opinion, the importance of public service broadcasting in our country remains immense. With the advent of cable television, and ensuing competition, the pressure to earn revenues as per me should be looked upon as an opportunity to improve the quality of programs broadcast in public service. It must be looked upon as a chance to improve the audio visual quality in such programs. A model that mixes commercial and public broadcast as per me is the order of the day. DAVP's Jaago Grahak Jaago wherein fictionalized cases were used to educate audiences of their rights as consumers is a classic example of competing and ensuring viewership of such programs that are imperative to educate our audiences and bring about the social and economic transformation that our country strives to achieve. Today may be the times of cut throat competition and pressures to earn heavy revenues but the significance of public service broadcasting remains immense and it maintains its position as the most powerful tool for informing, educating, and empowering the people.

            Besides the government, cable and satellite channels must also dedicate at least half an hour to public service broadcasting. Organizations like the Indian Broadcasting Foundation and the News Broadcasters Association should also come forward in rendering public service broadcasting. I strongly believe that the government, production houses, and the media industry as a whole must unite to fulfill this social responsibility as conscientious citizens of India.

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