Indian Media

In a country like ours, mass communication plays a vital role in creating people's awareness about national policies and programmes by providin information and education, besides healthy entertainment. It helps people t be active partners in the nation-building endeavour. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is responsible for development and regulation of information broadcasting and film sectors in the country. The broadcasting sector consist of Prasar Bharati formed by an Act of 1997 by subsuming Doordarshan and All India Radio under it.

In a country like ours, mass communication plays a vital role in creating people's awareness about national policies and programmes by providin information and education, besides healthy entertainment. It helps people t be active partners in the nation-building endeavour. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is responsible for development and regulation of information broadcasting and film sectors in the country. The broadcasting sector consist of Prasar Bharati formed by an Act of 1997 by subsuming Doordarshan ar All India Radio under it. In addition, the broadcasting sector has about hundred private channels and cable network all over the country. The information sector includes the print media which is regulated by Press Council of India, in addition to the following media units of t Government: Press Information Bureau, Directorate of Advertising and Visi Publicity, Publications Division, Directorate of Field Publicity, Song and Dram Division, Photo Division and the Research, Reference and Training Division. Filmmaking is in the non-government sector. The Government presence j this sector consists of Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, Nation Film Development Corporation, the Central Board of Film Certification, Fit Archives of India and Children's Film Society. The Government has set i two film institutes, one at Pune and the other at Kolkata.

The information and broadcasting sector has been undergoing changes largely due to technological development during the last two decades. In the 1980s, Doordarshan started using INSAT for nation-wide transmission of its channels and a huge network of more than 1,000 terrestrial transmit has been created all over the country. In the nineties, private channels cable network came to cover many parts of the country. Use of computers has been revolutionising information collection and dissemination.

Convergence is yet another technological revolution profoundly influencing the media scenario: convergence is coming about in various branches of entertainment like film, TV and music industry. All of these computers, CDs, audio/video tapes. The same satellite and optic fibre is being used as infrastructure transmitting information whether for telecommunication or for computers or for broadcasting. At the receiving end the computers being used as a tool not only for information processing, but also for receiving information and broadcast programmes. The Government has been tr work out the details of Convergence Law, which will address the pr of development and regulations of the three related sectors, namely, broadcasting, telecommunication and information technology in a manner.

More than 100 FM radio stations have been approved for being l and operated by private parties. The Government has liberalised uplinking Policy for TV channels in the country. The Cable Network Act has been amended with the objectives of preventing the cable networks from showing pirated movies, prohibiting advertisements for liquor, tobacco and infant milk substitutes and for ensuring that the cable network show at least three Doordarshan channels.

The Government has allowed Direct to Home (DTH) operation in the country with certain conditions. Detailed guidelines in this regard have been issued on 15 March 2001, which are available at the Ministry’s website www.mib.nic.in.

Media Links

• News on AIR
• All India Radio
• Doordarshan
• National Informatics Centre
• Press Information Bureau
• Press Trust of India
• United News of India
• Samachar
• Economic Times
• Financial Express
• Business Standard
• Hindustan Times
• Times of India
• The Hindu
• Indian Express
• Pioneer
• Asian Age
• The Statesman
• The Telegrph
• Outlook Magazine
• India Today
• The Week
• NDTV
• Aaj Tak