Indian TV is in - with a knock-on effect on Indian SW services.
Swopan Chakroborty in Kolkata, India passes on this interesting news about Indian TV going global soon. The prices for distribution in the US are peanuts to what other external TV networks are paying.
Doordarshan TV News and five Doordarshan language channels may
soon begin beaming to 146 countries including North
America and the United Kingdom along with DD India
which is already being shown in most parts of the
United States and Canada.
Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer K. S. Sarma
told a news conference after the Board meeting today
that the channels which have been digitalised will be
beamed through PAS Nine and Ten.
He said while Globecast owned by non-resident Indian
Vishwanath, settled in New Jersey, was already airing
DD India all over the United States on a payment of
80,000 dollars per year, a Doordarshan team will
shortly be visiting the United Kingdom to negotiate
with the Rupert Murdoch-owned BSkyB.
The language DD channels that will be aired overseas
are Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Tamil on the
basis of surveys carried out by Doordarshan about
their need. He said DD Malayalam may also be added to
this list if technologically possible.
He said DD already had the infrastructure to reach its
channels to these countries. Global tenders would be
floated soon to find takers for these channels in
various parts of the world except the United Kingdom
where the DD team will finalise the details.
Meanwhile, he confirmed that some language channels of
All India Radio's External Services which had
virtually no listenership were being stopped and he
had already discussed the matter with Information and
Broadcasting Secretary Pavan Chopra.
4:29:03 PM 
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