Lok Sabha Question No. 62 (STARRED), answered on 2019-02-07
Subject: Doordarshan and Akashvani Programmes
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *62 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2019)

## DOORDARSHAN AND AKASHVANI PROGRAMMES

## *62.  SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

## Will  the  MINISTER  OF  INFORMATION  AND  BROADCASTING  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether transmission of Doordarshan and Akashvani programmes is not clear in the rural and border areas of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the steps taken/being taken to increase the number of transmitters, particularly in the said areas under the ongoing scheme, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING {COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE(Retd.)}

- (a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *62 FOR ANSWER ON 07.02.2019.

(a) & (b) Prasar Bharati has informed that All India Radio (AIR) broadcast service is provided  from  672  transmitters  (MW-138,  SW-48  &  FM-486)  installed  at  473 locations across the country in terrestrial mode. The installed coverage capacity of AIR  broadcast  (AM  and  FM)  is  about  92%  of  the  area  and  99.2%  of  the  total population  of  the  country  including  that  of  rural  and  border  areas.  Some  of  the border  areas  in  higher  altitude  of  the  states  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh are still uncovered.

To  augment  coverage,  39  channels  of  AIR  are  available  on  Doordarshan's DTH  platform  (DD  Free  Dish)  which  can  be  accessed  across  the  country. Additionally,  17  popular  channels  of  All  India  Radio  can  be  accessed  on  AIR's website <allindiaradio.gov.in> and through iOS/Android based mobile apps across the country & the world.

As  regards  Doordarshan (DD), all the areas of the country (including those located  in  rural  and  border  areas),  have  been  provided  with  multi-channel  TV coverage through Doordarshan's free-to-air DTH service. Good quality DTH signals can be received anywhere in the country with the help of small sized dish receive units.

- (c) AIR has approved scheme of setting up of FM transmitters of various powers in  different  states  mostly  in  rural  and  border  areas,  which  include  100  W  FM transmitters for localized coverage. Details are given in Annexure .

For strengthening of Doordarshan terrestrial TV coverage in border areas, projects to set up three new High Power TV transmitters at following locations in J&K are approved:

1. HPT, Green Ridge
2. HPT, Himbotingla
3. HPT, Natha Top (Patnitop)

In view of multi-channel coverage having been provided to all the areas (including rural and border areas uncovered by terrestrial transmission) through Doordarshan's free-to-air DTH service, new transmitters for expansion of terrestrial coverage are now not envisaged.

***

ANNEXURE  AS  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *62 FOR ANSWER ON 07.02.2019

ANNEXURE

Approved list of FM Transmitters

## A.  1 kW & above FM Transmitters

|   Sr. Nos. | STATE             | POWER OF FM TRANSMITTER   |   NO. OF APPROVED TRANSMITTERS |
|------------|-------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------------|
|          1 | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 10 KW                     |                              1 |
|          2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 1 KW                      |                              4 |
|          3 | BIHAR             | 10 KW                     |                              3 |
|          4 | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 1 KW                      |                              1 |
|          5 | JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 10 KW                     |                              2 |
|          6 | KERALA            | 5 KW                      |                              1 |
|          7 | MADHYA PRADESH    | 5 KW                      |                              1 |
|          8 | MANIPUR           | 1 KW                      |                              1 |
|          9 | MIZORAM           | 1 KW                      |                              3 |
|         10 | NAGALAND          | 1 KW                      |                              1 |
|         11 | ODISHA            | 1 KW                      |                              2 |
|         12 | RAJASTHAN         | 10 KW                     |                              1 |
|         13 | TRIPURA           | 1 KW                      |                              1 |
|         14 | UTTAR PRADESH     | 10 KW                     |                              6 |
|         15 | UTTARAKHAND       | 1 KW                      |                              2 |
|         16 | UTTARAKHAND       | 5 KW                      |                              1 |
|         17 | WEST BENGAL       | 10 KW                     |                              1 |

- B.  100 W FM  Transmitters

|   Sr. Nos. | STATE             |   NO. OF APPROVED TRANSMITTERS |
|------------|-------------------|--------------------------------|
|          1 | ANDHRA PRADESH    |                              5 |
|          2 | ARUNACHAL PRADESH |                              5 |
|          3 | ASSAM             |                              1 |
|          4 | BIHAR             |                             10 |
|          5 | CHHATTISGARH      |                              1 |
|          6 | DAMAN & DIU (UT)  |                              1 |
|          7 | GUJARAT           |                             13 |
|          8 | HARYANA           |                              2 |
|          9 | JHARKHAND         |                              1 |
|         10 | KARNATAKA         |                              7 |
|         11 | KERALA            |                              2 |
|         12 | MADHYA PRADESH    |                             13 |
|         13 | MAHARASHTRA       |                             12 |
|         14 | MANIPUR           |                              2 |
|         15 | MIZORAM           |                              2 |
|         16 | ODISHA            |                              5 |
|         17 | PUNJAB            |                              1 |
|         18 | RAJASTHAN         |                             14 |
|         19 | TAMIL NADU        |                              1 |
|         20 | TELANGANA         |                              5 |
|         21 | TRIPURA           |                              2 |
|         22 | UT (A&N ISLANDS)  |                              1 |
|         23 | UTTAR PRADESH     |                              5 |
|         24 | UTTARAKHAND       |                              1 |
|         25 | WEST BENGAL       |                              1 |