History of TV in India

Broadcasting was expected to contribute to national integration and development in the country

The government was reluctant to invest in television - it was felt that a poor country like India could not afford the medium.

Post independence, for more than a decade – only radio news

Government apprehensive that television was a costly medium for a poor country

Background post- independence

Television was introduced in 1959.  It had to prove its role in the development process.  First TV Broadcast in Sep 1959 as part of All India Radio's

services. Programs - broadcast twice a week for ONE hour/DAY Programs related to the development and social issues –

awareness on health and citizen rights related issues. In 1961 the broadcasts were expanded to include a

school educational television projects. Slowly followed by entertainment - Indian films and

bollywood songs Few old U.S. and British shows were also telecast

sporadically

Early Days (1959-75)

SITE - Satellite Instructional Television Experiment

Year long –August 01 1975 to 31st July 1976 Marked the beginning of a series of

innovative, constructive educational television programmes for national development

It was designed to test whether satellite based television services could play a role in socio-economic development.

First Breakthrough - SITE

It was a system test of satellite broadcast technology in India

ATS-6 was the satellite for this experiment provided by NASA( National Aeronautics and Space Administration) USA

the ground segment prepared by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) working in collaboration with first All India Radio and later Doordarshan

What was the experiment ?

1976, the government constituted Doordarshan, the national television network

1976 witnessed a the advent of advertising on Doordarshan and in the history of TV in India

Commercialization of Doordarshan saw the development of soap operas, situation comedies, dramas, musical programs, quiz shows.

Doordarshan

Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan

The educational and developmental programmes were beamed up to the satellite from earth stations set up in Ahmedabad and Delhi and were broadcast towards India using the high power transmitter and the large antenna aboard ATS-6. These programmes were received in about 2400 villages in six different states of India.

Successful Satellite Experiment