Private channels may have to fund DD, AIR

Source: Hindustan Times | Chetan Chauhan, HT, New Delhi 

Published Date: April 09, 2013 

Private television channels may soon have to loosen their purse strings to fund Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR) if a government committee has its way.

The committee to restructure national public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is working on the proposal, which is likely to irk the broadcasting industry.

The committee headed by national innovation council chairman Sam Pitroda believes that DD and AIR have been suffering losses since the entire responsibility of public service broadcasting lies with them. "Private channels are profit-oriented and have no public service obligation," a government official said.

It wants private channels to pay a 'public broadcast fee' to the government, which will be used by DD and AIR to run social benefit programmes.

Read more at http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Private-channels-may-have-to-fund-DD-AIR/Article1-1039521.aspx