The Hindu Business Line : Prasar Bharati hopes to rope in BBC, CNN on to DTH platform

PRASAR Bharati is in parleys with BBC and CNN to induct them into the DTH (direct-to-home) platform to be launched by Doordarshan on September 15, as part of the countrywide rollout of free-to-air television broadcast services and digital radio channels.

The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, Mr K.S. Sarma, said, "We are in the process of holding parleys with BBC and CNN and several other players to induct them into the 30 free-to-air channels space to be beamed by the DD DTH platform. This project is to be launched by the Prime Minister on September 15. It was on September 15, 1959, Doordarshan came into being."

Prasar Bharati has distributed about 5,000 sets of set top boxes and dish antennae to rural areas in the country. This Rs 165-crore DTH project, in which Prasar Bharati has invested about Rs 90 crore so far, will be formally launched later this month with 30 channels. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Sarmasaid Bharat Electronics Ltd has been mandated to manufacture set top boxes for the DTH rollout, and various retailers are being finalised. "We are also negotiating with the state-owned Electronics Corporation of India Ltd to manufacture these set top boxes and antennae."

The same set top box and dish can offer a host of digital radio channels, including 214 radio stations in the country"Since both DD DTH and Zee DTH are beamed out of same satellite feed, there is the possibility of accessing more channels initially, till we move over to Insat VI B," the CEO explained.