The Downfall Of Doordarshan

n the 70s and 80s, Doordarshan’s role was like of a supplier of water to adrought. In 1976, when TV was separated from All India Radio, Doordarshancrackled to life. So did a signal tune, some studio curtains, carpets, Chitrahaar,the Sunday movie and Krishi Darshan. Not in that order. How excited Indiawas. To be a DD newscaster was to be a star. When Hum Log and Ramayanabeamed, small town and urban India gathered to gape. Three decades later, thePrasar Bharati officials are the only ones gaping. Quality was not what thepublic broadcaster was ever known for, but it had the monopoly. Till the GulfWar of 1991 which introduced war to a global TV audience transforming CNN, thechicken noodle network, into a broadcast standard in the world.

Cable TV rang the death knell of Doordarshan. Its downfall was also theoccasion of the rise of other channels, most of which were started by those wholeft DD’s studios. Now DD has 19 channels -- two all India, 11 regionalsatellite channels, four state networks, an international and a sports channelover 1044 transmitters and 50,000 employees. But where are the viewers?

All its top rung producers, anchors and advertisers are gone. Redundancy andalienation characterise the institution. Unlike the authoritative and evolvingBBC, also a public broadcaster, DD was never autonomous or independent. The onlyrole it played was as the sidekick of the ruling party. Corruption ruled,private producers made money even as clerks fished for bribes. All the newforays failed. Channel 9 set up in 1999 and DD News of 2000 folded up after thethen CEO left. Then came DD Bharati which is still using some of the oldcurtains and carpets.

A majority of DD’s journalists continue to remain the worst paid in theindustry. DD however, has not lost its big brother swagger. Recently, itattempted to decree that all sports channels must share their exclusive telecastrights acquired through a bidding process with it. But who wants to watchyesterday’s news?