NEW DELHI: The Government yesterday (16-07-22014) confirmed that it had received a proposal to create an interim set-up at the regional kendra of Doordarshan in Vijayawada to cater to the cultural and economic identities of Andhra Pradesh following bifurcation of the state.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar informed Parliament yesterday that the proposal had been received from the DD Kendra at Hyderabad to start, on an interim basis, a two hour terrestrial transmission from 5 pm to 7 pm everyday including a 15 minute Telugu news bulletin.

The rest 22 hours will be relayed from DDK Hyderabad, since DDK Vijayawada is currently only a programme generating facility (PGF).

Earlier, DD sources had told indianlevision.com that the aim would be to ultimately turn the Vijayawada Kendra into a 24-hour Kendra because the Hyderabad Kendra would become a part of the new state Telangana.

Consequently, Doordarshan has started planning production and transmission facilities that are similar to its Kendra in Hyderabad.

Doordarshan has already taken an initiative to upgrade the existing facilities of Doordarshan Kendra at Vijayawada which presently has one 150 square metre studio and a teleport satellite uplinking facility.

Doordarshan director general Tripurari Sharan and additional director general VK Jain recently visited the Vijayawada Kendra and discussed widespread plan for its upgradation with engineering and programme officers. Sharan asked officers to fast-track its upgradation plan and complete it in a time bound manner, directing Jain to personally monitor the progress.

The DD Saptagiri channel running from Hyderabad will be renamed DD Telangana and the DD Saptagiri channel will be retained for residual state of Andhra Pradesh

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