Parliament Question: Expansion of Doordarshan and AIR Services

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 576 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2026) EXPANSION OF DOORDARSHAN AND AIR SERVICES 576. SHRI THARANIVENTHAN M S: Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state: (a) the details of steps taken by the Government during the last three years to expand Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) services across the country, particularly in Arani Lok Sabha Constituency of Tamil Nadu; (b) whether the Government has identified coverage gaps in radio and television broadcasting in rural, hilly, coastal and border areas and the action taken to bridge these gaps; (c) the status of installation of new transmitters, towers, digital studios and FM channels under Prasar Bharati in Tamil Nadu; (d) whether the Government proposes to expand regional language broadcasting including more Tamil content on DD and AIR; and (e) the details of measures taken by the Government to ensure inclusive access to public broadcasting for educational, agricultural, cultural and emergency communication needs?ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN) (a) to (e): Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme is a Central Sector Scheme for development, modernization and upgradation of broadcasting infrastructure of Doordarshan and Akashvani in the country. BIND scheme has been approved with a total outlay of ₹2539.61 crore for 2021-26. The scheme has been extended upto 31.03.2027. The scheme includes setting up and modernization of transmitters and studios of Akashvani, expansion of DD Free Dish DTH platform and DD TV channels. It also includes upgrading production & transmission facilities. Under the scheme, transmitter upgradation, FM expansion, replacement of obsolete equipment, digitalisation and coverage expansion projects are undertaken to bridge coverage gaps in rural, hilly, coastal and border areas, including in the Arani constituency of Tamil Nadu. The combined Medium Wave and FM coverage of Akashvani in the country is about 98% by population and 90% by area. The Government continuously makes efforts to bridge the gap in coverage. Major projects taken up in Tamil Nadu under the BIND Scheme during the last 3 years include,  Commissioning of a 20 kW FM transmitter at Rameshwaram  FM transmitters of 5 kW at Salem  FM transmitters of 5 kW at Vellore  10 kW at Kumbakonam  A Virtual Radio System at Chennai An Uplink Antenna System and UPS have been installed at Earth Station, Chennai.  Automation of programme production facilities and HD facilities at DDK Chennai  New production equipment and active LED video walls at DDK Chennai Government of India has also launched the revamped DD Tamil channel on 19th January 2024. It is a 24x7 dedicated television channel. It broadcasts Tamil programmes on art, culture, literature, heritage and eminent personalities, besides news and current affairs relating to Tamil Nadu. It is also telecast in HD. Both channels are carried on DD Free Dish, Prasar Bharati's free-to-air DTH platform. Akashvani operates 17 channels in Tamil Nadu, and their live streaming is available on the NewsOnAIR mobile app. The DD Free Dish platform encourages onboarding of regional channels. As a result, 28 regional-language channels, including Tamil channels, have been onboarded. Further, more than 300 co-branded educational channels are available on DD Free Dish under Prasar Bharati's MoU with BISAG-N. Akashvani and Doordarshan networks carry educational, agricultural, cultural and public-awareness programming. They also serve as a reliable medium for emergency communication during disasters. DD and Akashvani channels are also available on the WAVES OTT platform. *****