DD unaffected by Chinese TV signals in Arunachal : Govt

New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) Chinese TV signals were not affecting Doordarshan transmission in Arunachal Pradesh, the Government told the Lok Sabha today.

The Chinese signals were received in some areas of the northeastern state during favourable seasonal conditions, but they did not disturb the Indian transmissions, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told the House in a written reply.

Similarly, though radio channels of the neighbouring country were audible on different frequencies in Arunachal Pradesh, coverage of AIR transmitters had not been affected by it, he said.

The Minister said a special package for expansion of Doordarshan and All India Radio coverage in North East Region and Island territories of Andaman&Nicobar and Lakshadweep had been approved by the Government in May, 2006.

With the launch of 'DD Direct Plus' (free to Air DTH service of Doordarshan), both AIR and TV signals could be received all over the country including NE Region, except Andaman&Nicobar Islands, with the help of small size dish receive system, Mr Dasmunsi said.

Replying to another question, the Minister said thirty-one channels had so far been permitted to be uplinked from India during the current year.

As on July 31 last, applications of 59 companies to uplink 99 TV channels from India were at various stages of scrutiny. These also require inter-Ministerial comments and hence, no definite time frame could be indicated, he said.

Answering another question, he said 11 AIR Stations and 164 private FM radio stations were expected to go on air till the end of the year.

Of these 27 were in Maharashtra, 17 in Kerala, 14 in Tamil Nadu, 12 in Rajasthan, 10 each in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, 9 each in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, 8 in Karnataka and West Bengal, 7 each in Punjab and Jharkhand, 6 in Chhattisgarh, 3 each in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkam and Pondicherry, 2 each in Orissa, Meghalaya and Assam and one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Bihar and Daman&Diu.

He said a new policy of expansion of FM broadcasting through private operators was notified in July, 2005. Subsequently, 337 channels including 217 channels of class-C and class-D cities were put on bid.

Out of these 217 channels, agreements were signed with successful bidders for 139 channels in 57 cities. For the remaining 78 vacant channels of class-C and class-D, pre-qualification bids had been invited from private companies through tender notification dated 8.6.2007, said the Minister.

UNI