PM launches DTH service Dr Manmohan Singh said the media should shun the temptation to indulge in vulgar propaganda and promote liberalism.
NEW DELHI, DHNS: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday urged the media, especially television, to promote values of liberalism, pluralism and secularism and refrain from �vulgar propaganda�. Launching Prasar Bharati�s free-to-air DTH service called �DD Direct Plus� at a ceremony at his official residence, Dr Singh said, �We must pay attention to what messages we are conveying. It is essential to focus on the importance of content in public broadcasting, in particular.� �Media must organise content in a manner that promotes the values of our Republic, in particular, the values of liberalism, pluralism, secularism and of unity in diversity. While eschewing the temptation to indulge in vulgar propaganda, public television must present information in a manner that encourages positive thinking and free debate, and affirms values of decency and fair play in our public life,� he said. DD Direct Plus will initially have 33 TV and 12 All India Radio channels, Prasar Bharati CEO K S Sarma said earlier. �In a democracy, there is a special role for a public broadcaster. We must define and develop that role. We must prepare programmes, which will have depth and content required by people living in rural and urban areas and in different parts of this vast country of ours,� Dr Singh said. Radio power Giving instances of the power of radio and television, he said that public broadcaster Doordarshan and All India Radio need to have an attitude and a mindset that addressed the needs and concerns of ordinary people. �There is a thirst for information and we must quench that thirst to the best of our ability,� he said, adding that the DTH platform would enable people to access classical music, sport, science and wholesome entertainment. Stating that the DTH service was an investment in the cause of development, he said that it would bring �tremendous returns� economically, socially and culturally. Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy and senior Prasar Bharati officials were present on the occasion. Emotional integration Describing the launch as a landmark event in the history of Indian broadcasting and communication, Dr Singh said it was an important step forward in the continuing process of emotional integration of people and social and intellectual development of the country. The prime minister reminded Prasar Bharati that both DD and AIR were �public resources� and thus a source of empowerment through information and education for strengthening citizens� access to participation in the nation�s public affairs. �Radio and television are also a marvellous medium of cultural expression and national integration in a diverse country such as ours. They are also a strategic instrument of socio-economic development. By stating all this I am not downplaying the role of Prasar Bharati as a medium of entertainment. We have to remain mindful of the compulsions of the market as well,� he said. As the DTH service would enable DD and AIR to reach out to a global audience, he asked Prasar Bharati to ponder over issues like what image of the country should be presented to the world, and whether DD was ready to become a global news channel like BBC and CNN. �Our technologists have shown us that we can think big in creating the hardware required. Our intellectuals, artists, journalists, media managers and social activists must now do the same and create the content for a global audience,� he said. www.deccanherald.com/ Mukesh Kumar Muzaffarpur INDIA. ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- World Radio TV Handbook 2005 is coming out. Preorder yours and support open communications for DXers: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0823077942/hardcoredxcom ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://dallas.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt
