NEW DELHI: The launch of the 24-hour channel devoted to farmers and rural India - DD Kisan - has been pushed back by three months to Baisakhi Day on 14 April as Doordarshan has still to complete all the formalities relating to staff and programme.

The channel was earlier slated to launch on Makar Sankranti on 14 January but Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley has now been assured that all arrangements would be completed by mid-April.

As per information available with Indiantelevision.com, the assurance was given in Jaitley’s customary morning meeting with senior officials of his Ministry as well as Prasar Bharati.

Jaitley sought full details of the work done on the channel, for which he had set aside Rs 100 crore in the Budget in his capacity as Finance Minister. However, the budget for I&B Ministry shows an allocation of Rs 90 crore for the same in the year 2014-15.

DD sources told Indiantelevision.com that the Minister had been assured that all preparations would be completed by mid-April. It was also stated that 14 April is a very important day for farmers as it marks the start of the sowing season.

Apart from Jaitley and Miniser of State Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, I&B secretary Bimal Julka, Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar and senior DD officials were present in the meeting held earlier this week.

Noting that the proposed Doordarshan Kisan is a dedicated channel for the farmers to give them information targeted to address the wholesome edutainment needs of a farmer to adopt and adapt to modern scenario, the national broadcaster had in early December invited proposals for programmes under the Self Financing Commissioned (SFC) Scheme.

DD sources said that the content expected for DD Kisan will primarily address the developmental needs of the farmer addressing ‘Core Agriculture’, ‘Critical Support’ and ‘Essential Ancillary’ areas, keeping in mind the varied Agro-Economic Zones, Climatic Areas, Different Crops and the need to address the target audience spread across various states but will have to be entertaining and engaging.

The content on DD Kisan will be in Hindi with regional dubbing.

The genres for which it invited proposals were: Documentaries/Features (Field Based); Magazines/Docu Dramas (Field Based); Cookery Shows/Biographies; Daily Soap/Fiction Serials/Family Serials/Thrillers; film song based programmes; Reality Shows/Game Shows; and Mandi Bhav/Bazar Bhav/Agro Based Bulletins.

In addition, DD Kisan will have a new segment for iconic characters plus content packaging where animation characters will convey the agricultural themes and desired messaging. It is expected that the participants under this category will also provide layouts of the channel’s packaging.

The channel will also have a segment for edited feature films where the entire film is expected to be capsuled with anchor based presentation for 60 minutes.

In the Bazar Bhav/ Mandi Bhav segments, updates from the mandis including the template will be required to be provided, which will give the core audiences suitable direction and help in the agricultural activity.

Ministry sources highlighted Prasar Bharati’s plan to take inputs from different Agricultural Universities and Institutes to develop rich content for the channel.

DD is hoping to engage people in the fields of production as well as marketing in positions ranging from senior to mid to junior level.

There are a total of 67 vacant posts of post production professionals, visual graphics designer, record keeper, senior videographer, junior videographer, senior production executive, production executive, senior creative editor, creative editor, senior presenter, presenter, copy editor–cum-writer, programme trainees, head- sales & marketing, and senior sales & marketing executive.

Other steps being taken by Prasar Bharati for this channel include: production of in-house and outsourced content; liason with relevant ministries to get inputs for channel content and for which advertisements will be issued; calculation of budget and expenditure for the channel; crowd sourcing for channel name, logo, jingles etc; issue of advertisement for channel packaging and branding along with look and feel and montage.

A consultation meeting has been held with various educational institutes for a rich content and to create a ‘Resource Persons Group’ and this would be a continuous process.

Meanwhile, the Krishi Darshan programmes of Doordarshan are being telecast under the “Mass Media Support to Agriculture Extension” funded by the Agriculture Ministry focusing on dissemination of modern agricultural techniques by involving experts from various fields like insurance, banking, credit for farmers, State Government schemes on agriculture/ fisheries/veterinary science/water and soil conservation/social forestry etc.

In addition, a programme Mera Gaon Connection telecast at prime time on DD National also introduces modern agricultural techniques to the viewers.

The mass media support to agricultural extension and focused publicity campaigns has been strengthened to reach out to all farmers including small and marginal.

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