Arunachal's first dedicated TV channel to be launched by PM

Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Arunachal Pradesh's first dedicated 24x7 television channel, DD Arunprabha, at the Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) in Itanagar on Saturday.

Modi is also scheduled to launch an airport in Itanagar on the same day.

These projects are part of the government’s focus for the development of the North-east region through its “Act East Policy”, an official in the Union ministry of information and broadcasting told media. The policy aims at reducing the isolation of the region by improving all-round connectivity through road, rail, telecom, power and waterways, this person added.

Information and broadcasting (I&B) secretary Amit Khare said “Arunprabha channel will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a digital satellite news-gathering unit to provide live coverage from remote areas, for 24x7 telecast.”

He also said that playout facility and the earth station established at DDK Itanagar will ensure seamless transmission of the channel.

The Rs 60 crore project is part of the Rs 1,054.52 crore fund approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday for Prasar Bharati’s broadcasting infrastructure and network development.

Out of the Rs 1054.52 crore, an amount of ~435.04 crore is for continuing schemes of All India Radio (AIR) and an amount of Rs 619.48 crore is for the schemes of Doordarshan, a government statement issued on Wednesday said. The continuing schemes of AIR and Doordarshan are at different stages of implementation and are scheduled to be completed in phases, it said.

The government approved the launch of the channel in Itanagar to fulfil the aspirations of the people of the North-east Region, it said.

“In addition to this, 150,000 DTH [direct-to-home] sets have been approved for distribution in different states in the country which will help people in the border, remote, tribal and LWE areas to watch Doordarshan’s DTH programmes,” it added. The Cabinet also approved setting up of DTTs at 19 locations and the digitisation of studios at 39 locations, Digital Satellite News Gathering vans at 15 locations, and the upgradation of earth stations at 12 locations, it said.

The government is focusing on modernising and upgrading existing facilities in studios that are essential to sustain the ongoing activities and also for high definition television [HDTV] transmitters at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

Apart from this, 10KW FM transmitters will be set up along Indo-Nepal border while 10KW FM transmitters will be set up in Jammu and Kashmir border to significantly improve the radio and TV coverage along the border areas.

For All India Radio, the scheme provides for FM expansion at 206 places, and the digitalisation of studios at 127 places is envisaged.

The FM expansion programme will allow an 13% additional population of the country to listen to All India Radio programmes.

This move has created a wave of joy in the residents of Arunachal Pradesh who will now witness a better means of entertainment by the government's move.