1

UNIT - I
BROADCAST SECTOR

Understanding Broadcast Sector:

Broadcast is an element of communication. Communication has five elements,

one of them is media. It is the medium through which the communicator transfers his/her
message to the target audience. Then the medium of mass communication has been of
two categories; print media and broadcast media. Again broadcast media is of two types;
audio and audio-visual media. Radio is an audio media through which the audience can
listen only. But in television the audience can both listen and see visuals and it is called
audio-visual media.

COMMUNICATION

Elements of Communication

Communicator Message Medium Audience Feedback

1. Print Broadcast
2. Radio Television

Broadcasting Policy

The Government’s monopoly of broadcasting rested on Article 246 of the Indian

Constitution which states that Parliament has exclusive powers to make laws with respect
to any of the matters enumerated in List 1 of the VII Schedule. Item 31 in this list
includes ‘posts and telegraphs, telephones, wireless, broadcasts and other like forms of
communication. This exclusive monopoly of the use of the airwaves was struck down by
the Supreme Court in 1995 when it declared that the airwaves are public property’ and
that the public is distinct from the government. It therefore directed the Central
Government to constitute an autonomous broadcasting authority to licence and regulate 3
the use of the airwaves for broadcasting. In September 1997, the Prasar Bharati (or the
Broadcasting Corporation of India) was established as an autonomous body to give effect
to the Prasar Bharati Act 1990. The Prasar Bharati Board has been constituted by a
Presidential Ordinance; the future of the Board and of independent broadcasting is now in
doubt, with the new Government threatening to let the ordinance lapse.

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 2

Broadcasting Code

Current broadcasting policy is based on the AIR Code of 1970, which sets down
that broadcasts on All India Radio will not permit:

1. Criticism of friendly countries.

2. Attack on religion or communities.
3. Anything obscene or defamatory.
4. Incitement to violence or anything against the maintenance of law and order.
5. Anything amounting to contempt of court.
6. Aspersions against the integrity of the President, Governors, and Judiciary.
7. Attack on a political party by name;
8. Hostile criticism of any State or the Centre;
9. Anything showing disrespect to the Constitution or advocating change in the
Constitution by violence; but advocating change in a constitutional way
should not be debarred.

The Broadcasting Code also forbids ‘direct publicity of an individual or of a

commercial benefit to an organisation,’ and the use of ‘trade names amounting to direct
advertising.’

The Code applies to criticism in the nature of personal tirade, either of a friendly
Government or of a political party or of the Central Government or any State
Government. But it does not debar references to and/or dispassionate discussion of
policies pursued by any of them.

The Code and other restrictions on broadcasting are based on Clause 2 of Article
19 of the Indian Constitution. Other restrictions include the broadcasting of the news of
the death of high dignitaries such as the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister
and a few other but only after it has been cleared by the Home Secretary. The AIR or
Doordarshan correspondent has to get the news from him and inform the News Room,
before it can be broadcast.

Ethics of Broadcasting:

Radio and television were introduced into India to be the carriers of entertainment
and education for the general public. Though introduced with ‘public service’ as the
prime objective, both the electronic media have been widely used for government
propaganda as well as for commercial interests. 4
Where broadcast news is concerned, the ethics of broadcasting is very similar to
those for the print media. These relate to questions of accuracy and fairness, of respect
for privacy and the religious beliefs/practices of different communities, of the need for
caution in reporting violence and communal disturbances, and in criticising judicial acts,
of the right to reply, of respect for the confidentiality of sources and of the need to
eschew obscenity and vulgarity.

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 3

Broadcasting Act, 1977

The Supreme Court in one of its decisions in 1975 viewed that there should be some
authority to regulate the broadcasting system in the country and any single agency can
have the authority on broadcasting. The broadcasting should be under the control of the
people and not the Government. Radio waves are public property and its use can be
regulated and controlled by any public authority, so that the right of the people are not
hampered.
On the basis of this decision of the Supreme Court, “Broadcasting Bill” was
placed before the Indian Parliament in 1977. The “Broadcasting Bill” is divided into six
parts. There is a provision of “Indian Broadcasting Authority” in the second chapter of
the Bill.

Functions of the Authority:

The Authority will issue licenses for broadcasting services. After the enactment of this Act,
nobody can provide. Broadcasting services for any services mentioned in sub-section (1) of
Section (9) under the provisions of the Act without obtaining the license.

The Authority shall have the Powers to issue licenses for the following
broadcasting services:
1. Community radio broadcast
2. Community television broadcast;
3. Satellite radio broadcast;
4. Satellite television broadcast,
5. Direct to home broadcast
6. Local relay services and
7. Such other services, as may be prescribed.

EVOLUTION OF BROADCAST SECTOR

RADIO

Radio is an audio medium of mass communication In this system the news and
other programmes are announced from a radio station and could be heard through a
wireless small receiver set by any person sitting thousands kilometers away in the
remotest corner of India, Radio is called the medium for the masses.
A combination of a number of discoveries by technicians and scientist from different
countries gave rise to the development of wireless telegraphy, whose sole use was point
to point telecommunication, to become a broadcasting system that was one of the media
for mass culture. This shift from one type of technological and social Usage to another,
took place in relation to developments in the United State. The radio created a
communication environment in which amateurs could operate freely and secondly the

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 4

World War 1st prompted the industrialization of wireless telegraphy

Radio came in the United States of America in 1909. A station in San Jose, California,
started broadcasting announcements and phonograph music. But regular and systematic
broadcasting began in 1920. In India the Radio Club of Bombay broadcast its first
programme in June 1923 and was followed by the Calcutta Radio Club in November,
1923. The Madras Radio Club started broadcasting on 31 July 1924 which was later
closed down due to financial difficulties. The Madras Corporation re- started the
broadcast service in 1930.

The Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) was started as an organized broadcast in 1927
and its name was later changed to the Indian Listener and again to Akashvani. It went
into liquidation. The government took over the Bombay and Calcutta stations in April,
1930 and The Indian Broadcasting Service was formed. The government ordered the
closer of Indian Broadcasting Service on 10 October 1931 facing financial difficulties,
but reversed its orders on 23 November 1931 It was decided to start a radio station in
Delhi which went on the air on 1 January, 1936. The name All India Radio was adopted
from 8 June, 1936, the short-wave service was started in 1938 to cover the entire country.
Lucknow station went in on air on 2 April, 1938 and Madras on 16 June 1938. The
Tiruchi station came into being in 1939. The External Service Division at Delhi was also
started in 1939. A new Broadcasting House was built on Parliament Street, New Delhi
and was inaugurated in June 1947.

Radio is called the medium for the masses. Radio, unlike, the print media, can overcome
the obstacle of illiteracy, it can reach people in the farthest corners of the country in spite
the barriers of rivers and mountain without any means to reach the remote places. The
transistor revolution has perhaps made radio the only medium of mass communication to
reach average Indian, whether poor or rich, illiterate or literate, whether living nearby or
far off places.

TELEVISION

Experiments in television broadcasting started in the 20th century in the USA. But the
mechanical scanning disk being used in these experiments did not scan the picture
effectively. In the next five years certain inventions of picture tubes, electronic camera
and TV receiving sets arrived on the seen. These made it possible for the National 6
Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in the thirties to set up a TV station in New York.
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also started offering regular telecast
programmes. Germany and France also established television stations around the same
time. The age of satellite communication which revolutionized TV broadcasting, dawned
in 1962 with the launching of the Early Bird in 1962. Intelsat and Intersputnik began
operating in 1965 and 1971. Today, more than 125 countries have their earth stations
linked to satellites. The satellites systems have brought the people and nations of the
world much nearer. In seventies, the computer technology made possible a two-way
communication between the transmitting stations and receiving households. Then came
audio visual cassettes and the video tape recorder and player. These were followed by

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 5

closed-circuit TV. pay phone TV and Direct Broadcasting System.

Television came to India on 15 September1956 on strong demands for television in India

by manufacturers, businessmen, educational institutions. UNESCO offered a grant of $
20,000 to buy community sets. The USA also offered some equipment. Philips (India)
made an offer of a low priced transmitter to the government. Ultimately the government
yielded and set up a TV station at Delhi on an experimental basis, the declared objective
was to discover what TV could achieve in community development and formal
education. The transmission could cover an area of 40 kilometer and each programme
was of 20 minutes duration. The programmes were beamed twice a weak.

TV has an edge over other forms of mass media. It is a multi media system predominated
by the visual medium. TV has the power to instill desired attitudes among the masses/
target audience. It has a greater influence on the perception, emotions and outlook of the
masses than any other medium. The TV can transport viewers to the actual seen of action
to see things for themselves, as they are happening. TV news is unsurpassed in its ability
to transport viewers to the scene of event, giving the audience a sense of excitement and
involvement and also empathies with persons or victims involved.

EVOLUTION OF BROADCAST SECTOR IN INDIA

PRASAR BHARATI

Prasar Bharti is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country consisting of All
India Radio and Doordarshan. It came into existence on 23 November, 1997 with a
mandate to organize and conduct public broadcasting services to inform, educate and
entertain people and to ensure a balanced development of broadcasting on radio and
television.

The major objectives of the Prasar Bharti Act, 1990 are as follows:

i) Upholding the unity and integrity of the country and the values enshrined in the
Constitution.
ii) Promoting national integration.
iii) Safeguarding citizen’s rights and to be informed on all matters of public interest
and presenting a fair and balanced flow of information. 7
iv) Paying special attention to the fields of education and spread of literacy,
agriculture, rural development, health and family welfare and science and
technology.
v) Creating awareness about women’s issues and taking special steps to protect the
interests of children, the aged and other vulnerable sections of society,.
vi) Providing adequate coverage to the diverse cultures, sports and games and youth

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 6

affairs.

vii) Promoting social justice, safeguarding the rights of working classes, minorities
and tribal communities, and
viii) Expanding broadcasting facilities and promoting research and development in
broadcast technology.

ALL INDIA RADIO

Radio Broadcasting in India started in 1920’s. The first programme was broadcast
in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay. Broadcasting services was set up in 1927 with the
two privately-owned transmitters at Bombay and Calcutta. The government took over the
transmitters in 1930 and started operating in the name of Indian Broadcasting Service. It
was changed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and came to be known as Akashvani from
1957.
Growth of Network and Coverage: AIR had a network of six stations and 18 transmitters
covering just 2.5 per cent area and 11 per cent population of the countries in 1947. By
now AIR has a network of 223 broadcasting centers covering 91.42 per cent of the area
and 99.3 per cent of the population.
Low Power Transmitter (LPT) relay centers with one hundred FM transmitters are
proposed to be installed for remote areas of the country. The FM Service uses a large
bandwidth to provide a programme service of high-fidelity.
AIR has launched Agriculture Channel ‘Kisan Vani’ from 15 February, 2004, in
collaboration with the ministry of Agriculture to inform local farmers about the daily
market rates, weather report and day to day activities in their area at micro level.
Presently Kisan Vani is being broadcast from 96AIR stations.
AIR is broadcasting programmes on environment, forestry, wild life and ecology in major
languages and local dialects, spoken by various smaller communities. A daily programme
on environment will be mounted for five to seven minutes besides a weekly programme
of longer duration, as per the directions passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
AIR stations broadcast programmes on Health and Family Welfare in various formats
like talk, discussion, features, spots, stories, drama, success stories, phone-in
programmes, etc. The themes covered are raising marriage age, maternal care, women
empowerment, termination of pregnancy, child rights, child labour, girl child, child heath,
etc. AIR stations also broadcast programmes related to socio- economic development of
women, food and nutrition, women entrepreneurship, girl’ education etc.

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA

 7

DOORDARSHAN

Doordarshan is a Public Service Broadcaster and the largest terrestrial television network
in the world. It started on 15 September, 1956 to transmit educational and development
programme on an experimental basis with half an hour programme from New Delhi.
Regular television service as a part of All India Radio, commenced in Delhi (1965).
Bombay (1972), Calcutta (1975) and Chennai (1975).
Doordarshan was established on 15 September, 1976 and colour television was
introduced in 1982, during the 9th Asian Games held in New Delhi. From 1984
Doordarshan had a rapid expansion in the installation of transmitters. The second channel
was launched in Delhi (1984), Mumbai (1985), Chennai (1987) and in Kolkata (1988).
The metro channel was launched in 1993 and international channel DD India on 14
March 1995. Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) was formed on 23
November 1997. Doordarshan launched DD Sports in 1999, DD Bharti (an entertainment
and cultural channel) in 2002, DD News (24-hour news channel) from 2002 and Direct
to-Home Service DD direct + from 2004.
Being a Public Service Broadcaster, Doordarshan has a mandate to carry through its
programmes, messages on population control and family welfare, preservation of
environment and ecological balance, highlighting the need for social welfare measures
for women, children and the less privileged. It also promotes games and sports and the
artistic and cultural heritage of the country.
The network of Doordarshan consists of 64 Doordarshan Kendra, 1400 transmitters, 24
channels and 23 Regional News Units. It has three tier programmes service National,
Regional and Local. The National service emphasizes on events and issues of interest to
entire nation, Regional service focus on events and issues of interest to the people of that
particular state and the Local service caters to the needs of the population living in the
areas falling within the reach of a particular transmitter through area specific programmes
in the local languages and dialects. In addition, the programmes in the national and regional
services are also available in satellite mode to the viewers of all the areas of the country.

DD-1 CHANNEL

DD-1 Channel of Doordarshan makes significant contributions to accelerate socio

economic changes promote national integration, stimulate scientific temperament
disseminates knowledge, educational programmes, public awareness about new policies
and programmes, messages on family welfare and population control, women’s
empowerment, children and under-privileged, etc.
The service of National Channel is available in terrestrial mode as well as satellite mode.
The two terrestrial channels of Doordarshan i.e. DD-1 and DD News have a coverage of 9
79 per cent by area and 90.7 per cent by population by DD-1 and 23.3 per cent by area
and 45.9 per cent by population by DD News.

INNOVATIVE INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

PLOT NO.-6, KNOWLEDGE PARK-2, GREATER NOIDA