The public Broadcaster,Doordarshan's digitization plan gets Cabinet approval.

             The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure has given its approval to the proposal of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting regarding 11th Plan Scheme of Doordarshan – ‘Digitalization of Transmitters & Studios in Doordarshan Network, today (08-04-2010) .With this consent an allocation of Rs 620 crore has been sanctioned in the 11th Plan for implementation of the programme in case of DD .

            Rs 9.20 billion have been set aside in the 11th Plan for AIR's digitisation plans, it is learnt. AIR has already begun moving towards digitisation with the adoption of the DRM standard in certain parts of the country. The Cabinet is expected to shortly take up a similar proposal by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking Rs 9.20 billion for All India Radio which is already digitising with the adoption of the DRM standard.

            Informing the reporters about the cabinet decision, Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni remarked, ''Digitalisation would enable the people in the remotest corner of the country to receive a higher quality of AIR and DD signals.''

             Digitization of broadcasting has been one of the crucial challenges and opportunities for the broadcasters in the current scenario. At the same time digital broadcasting would enable the pubcasters’ to deliver better quality of content in the coming times and cope with the competition from the private broadcasters.

             The Scheme involves installation of 40 numbers of Digital Terrestrial Transmitters (DTTs), networking of DTT through satellite, augmentation of DMCs by providing equipment & facilities for maintaining the digital infrastructure, providing 5 sets of digital measurement equipment at zonal offices, providing 60 numbers of UPS at HPTs for uninterrupted power supply, R&D and Training, Digitalization of 31 partially digitalized and 8 analogue studio centers, digitalization of Archiving facilities, digitalization of News automation system and e-governance and IT Scheme.

       


             Rs 9.20 billion have been set aside in the 11th Plan for AIR's digitisation plans, it is learnt. AIR has already begun moving towards digitisation with the adoption of the DRM standard in certain parts of the country. The Cabinet is expected to shortly take up a similar proposal by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry seeking Rs 9.20 billion for All India Radio which is already digitising with the adoption of the DRM standard.

           For AIR, the scheme will involve replacement of MW transmitters by digital transmitters, digitalisation of studio/networking, new proposal for regional archives and up-gradation of central archives digitalisation archiving facilities and news room automation among others.
 

      While, AIR is already moving towards digitization with the adoption of the DRM standard, DD is all set to roll out HD broadcast for the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2010.