Extend financial support to Prasar Bharati: Surendran

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) A demand was made in the Lok Sabha today for extending ''sufficient financial support'' to All India Radio and Doordarshan to enable them to discharge their national duties.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Mr Chengara Surendran (CPI) said Prasar Bharati Corporation was formed with the noble intention of giving functional autonomy to AIR and DD. But the provision for public funding was omitted in the Prasar Bharati Act.

As a result, Prasar Bharati was compelled to fend for existence by commercialising its programme content, imitating the private channels and sacrificing the ideals of a true public broadcaster.

Remaining non-commercial was the distinctive character of a public service broadcaster, but Prasar Bharati was being forced to deviate from this principle, he regretted.

UNI