Doordarshan looks at global broadcast, SMS services
Yahoo! India News, April 05, 2006

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Autonomous public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is negotiating with the US-based Amritraj group to broadcast two channels of Doordarshan across the globe.

'We are having advanced level talks regarding modalities and terms and conditions with the firm,' said Prasar Bharati CEO K.S. Sarma Wednesday.

Announcing the achievements of the public broadcaster, he said Doordarshan had also tied up with ACL Wireless Limited to launch SMS and voice-based interactive services over phone.

'Doordarshan becomes the first channel in India to launch such services,' Sarma said, announcing the launch of an SMS based news service in addition to various other SMS based contests and services.

He said Prasar Bharati would increase the number of TV channels on its DTH platform to 52 from 33 in 2006-07.

Prasar Bharati reported a 48 percent increase in gross revenue at Rs. 12.30 billion in 2005-06 fiscal against Rs. 8.31 billion in the previous fiscal.

'We have done extremely well and for the first time our revenue collection has crossed the Rs. 10 billion mark,' said Sarma.

While Doordarshan mopped up a revenue of Rs.9.60 billion at a growth of 43 percent, All India Radio's (AIR) earnings grew 67 percent to Rs. 2.68 billion. The year before, Doordarshan's collections were Rs.6.53 billion as compared to AIR's
Rs. 1.35 billion.