DD, AIR services to be fully digitised by 2017

            The complete digitalisation of broadcasting services of Doordarshan, All India Radio and cable services is planned for a complete switchover by 2017.

         Inaugurating the BES EXPO 2010, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni emphasised that the government is committed to digitalisation of Doordarshan network to improve the viewing experience.

       “While India has yet not declared any date for complete migration, it is now being increasingly felt that by 2017 we should aim for complete switchover”, Soni added.

        The official broadcaster for Commonwealth Games 2010, Doordarshan has already installed High Definition Television, she added.

        The digital mode offers many advantages like efficient utilisation of available spectrum, better quality of picture and services, interactive and niche services. It also helps in bringing transparency.

        Acknowledging technology as the growth driver for many innovations in broadcast sector, the Minister urged the broadcasters to ensure that fruits of new technology actually reach the consumer.

       Convergence in technology has to fast become a reality and broadcast engineers must play a crucial role in guiding the best possible options in the carriage of the content to the public, she added.

      The ministry is also giving a serious thought to devise suitable policies for mobile television. On the FM front, the ministry is planning to incentivize the introduction of FM radio services in the North Eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir and island territories. The ministry is further liberalising the regulatory framework to provide for greater diversity of content and bring down operational costs.

     The government is in the process of finalizing the FM Phase-III policy soon. The ministry is also hoping to set up around 4,000 community radio stations in the next three years.

     The 3 day international expo and conference proposes to discuss topical issues such as ‘innovative technologies for coverage of Commonwealth Games, HDTV and beyond; new technologies for Digital TV and Radio; and frequency spectrum related issues under the theme of broadcast regulatory issues’.

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