SAHYADRI CHANNEL SOARS IN POPULARITY
The viewer ship of the Sahyadri channel which was three minutes per person
per day has gone up to 55 minutes per person per day now.
With competition in the electronic media at its zenith, Doordarshan (DD) signed an
agreement with Modi Entertainment Networks Ltd. (MEN) for promotion and monitoring of DD
channels on cable TV. Since July 2000, the Mumbai Doordarshan Kendra also decided to
support its regional satellite channel service, "Sahyadri" terrestrially by a
new 1-kw transmitter in Mumbai city. MEN's primary responsibility was to persuade cable
operators to collect DD's satellite signals in digital mode. Further MEN was responsible
to detect and report about cable operators who are found persistently violating the
provisions of Cable Act so that necessary action can be instituted by the nodal officers
of Doordarshan through the state government authority for this purpose.
According to Mukesh Sharma, who last year took over as Director of Doordarshan Kendra,
Mumbai, "We have not lost any viewers to our competitors - Alpha Marathi and Prabhat.
In fact, from 2.30 pm to 8.00 pm, we are the only Marathi channel to be aired both
terrestrially (in Maharashtra) and via satellite". With a view to reach a large
number of viewers in Maharashtra, the 10.20 pm Marathi news bulletin on DD II was scrapped
and is now being telecast on DD I at 2.30 pm. Sharma feels that the mandate of the
regional channels is altogether different from the others. "Other than entertainment,
they are supposed to preserve and promote the culture, tradition, heritage and various art
forms of their regions", says Sharma. In order to increase its viewers DD would also
go commercially by putting up hoarding etc. in the state.
Giving details about various plans to make the programs of "Sahyadri" channel
popular, Sharma said that henceforth the thrust will be on more interactive programs. The
viewer ship of the Sahyadri channel which was three minutes per person per day has gone up
to 55 minutes per person per day now. India produces 40,000 hours of programming per
annum. "This itself bodes well for the future of broadcasting in India", adds
Sharma.