PRASAR BHARATI STAFF URGED TO IMPROVE
CONTENT QUALITY
The Minister of Information
& Broadcasting, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad has called upon the
programme staff of the All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan to
improve the quality of programmes to make them more relevant and
interesting. He said, in this age of highly competitive time when
a large number of private channels are operating, the staff has
to change their mindset. This can only be achieved by becoming
more creative and professional, he said.
Inaugurating
a Seminar on "Six Years of Prasar Bharati – An Evaluation",
organized here today, by the Programme Staff Association of All
India Radio and Doordarshan, Shri Prasad said that the programmers
should never forget the fundamental principle that it is the good
content which drive the broadcasting channels. He asked them to
keep pace with the technology and at the same time keep the quality
intact. People would see only good programmes, otherwise they
would shift to other channels. He said, Doordarshan and AIR have
great relevance as public service broadcasters as the private
channels are driven only by the commercial considerations and
do not have any social obligations. He referred to the monumental
change-taking place in the country about which people have to
be informed and educated.
The OSD to the
Prime Minister, Shri Sudheendra Kulkarni said that it is time
to have an honest and objective evaluation of Prasar Bharati.
He said a wide ranging debate in the media, political establishment
and the general public is required on the relevance of a public
service broadcaster in the changed environment with so many private
broadcasters in the field. He said, the democratically elected
Government requires the public service broadcaster not only to
inform and educate the people about its policies and programmes
but also to inspire and motivate the people to participate in
the cause of nation building. Public service broadcasting is the
essence of communication in a democracy, he said.
