I&B for better infrastructure for inaccessible N-E areas
The government has stepped up its efforts to upgrade its communication set-up in the insurgency-affected and inaccessible parts of the Northeast. To widen the reach of national broadcasters Doordarshan and All India Radio, Union information and broadcasting ministry has decided to upgrade their infrastructure in the Northeast with a provision for approximately Rs 71 crore budget in the first phase.
The step comes soon after ministers from the eight states in the region held detailed discussions with Union I&B minister Ambika Soni. The I&B minister has directed her ministry to strengthen broadcast infrastructure in bordering areas of the region, while at the same time also invest in improvement of programming content.
Official sources stated that plan includes up gradation of Earth stations at Imphal, Kohima, Gangtok, Itanagar and Agartala. “The plan will also include full digitisation of existing 11 studios in the region, which is expected to be completed by 2011,” sources added.
In terrestrial mode the DD1 coverage is estimated to reach about 84 per cent of the region’s population, while the DD News channel coverage is about 51 per cent of population. There are similar plans for digitisation and establishment of new transmitters of AIR in the region. “The aim is to increase the reach of the DD and AIR networks in the region at the earliest,” sources added.
Ms Soni is also understood to have asked the ministry to focus on development of local content for broadcasting. It was felt that local content should get more priority over the national content as the population of the region will be able to readily connect with it. “The minister believes that a strategic plan for communication of areas like the Northeast was urgent and an integrated campaign regarding peculiar issues faced by the region should be taken up as priority,” sources added.
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