Efforts to strengthen DD, AIR in remote areas: Prasar Bharti

Shimla, Mar 29: Prasar Bharti Chairman A Surya Prakash on Monday said AIR and Doordarshan networks would be strengthened in border and remote areas as the medium caters to larger national interest.

Delivering a lecture on 'Media in India-Challenges Ahead' at Himachal Pradesh University here, Prakash said people were turning back to AIR and Doordarshan due to its proven authenticity and credibility.

He said efforts are afoot to improve the quality of programmes of AIR and Doordarshan and stressed that there were three major points of differences between national broadcaster and private channels.

"Doordarshan and AIR have national responsibility of catering to interest of the weaker sections of the society and for this reason, different campaigns are launched by the government," he said.

He cited programmes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Pulse Polio Campaign and said that the literacy rate of the country was going up and accordingly the circulation of newspapers and audience of AIR and DD are also increasing.

Dismissing the notion of a threat to print media from electronic media, the Prasar Bharti Chairman said these would continue to grow for next two generations.

PTI