New Delhi: Doordarshan, the public broadcaster completed its 50th year of existance on Tuesday.15 September, 1959 was the first day when the transmission of television programme begian in India at a make shift studio in the All India Radio building. Pramita Puri was the first announcer who started the programme with “shehnai recital' of Ustaad Bismillah Khan. The programme was transmitted in a radius of 25 kilometers with a small transmitters. From Black& White to becoming colour in 1982 to digital telecast in 2004, the public broadcaster has grown with tune of time.

The regular daily transmission started in 1965 as a part of All India Radio. The television service was extended to Bombay and Amritsar in 1972. Till 1975, seven Indian cities had television service and Doordarshan remained the only television channel in India. Television services were separated from radio in 1976. Each office of All India Radio and Doordarshan were placed under the management of two separate Director Generals in New Delhi. Finally Doordarshan as a National Broadcaster came into existence.

National telecasts were introduced in 1982. In the same year, colour TV was introduced in the Indian market with the live telecast of the Independence Day speech by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on 15 August 1982, followed by the 1982 Asian Games being held in Delhi. Now more than 90 percent of the Indian population can receive Doordarshan (DD National) programmes through a network of nearly 1400 terrestrial transmitters and about 46 Doordarshan studios produce TV programs today.

The first ever daily soap Hum Log and later on Buniyaad and Nukkad and mythological dramas like Ramayan (1987-88) and Mahabharat (1989-90) glued millions to Doordarshan and later on Bharat Ek Khoj, The Sword of Tipu Sultan and The Great Maratha. Hindi film songs based programs like Chitrahaar, Rangoli, Ek Se Badkar Ek, Superhit Muqabla. Crime thrillers like Karamchand, Barrister Roy, Byomkesh Bakshi, Reporter, Tehkikaat and Janki Jasoos,Suraag were popular among the masses.Presently, Doordarshan operates 19 channels – two All India channels-DD National and DD News, 11 Regional languages Satellite Channels, four State Networks, an International channel, a Sports Channel.

On DD National, Regional programmes and Local Programmes are carried on time-sharing basis. DD-News channel, launched on 3 November 2003, which replaced the DD-Metro Entertainment channel, provides 24-Hour news service. The Regional Languages Satellite channels have two components – The Regional service for the particular state relayed by all terrestrial transmitters in the state and additional programmes in the Regional Language in prime time and non-prime time available only through cable operators.

DD-Sports Channel is exclusively devoted to the broadcasting of sporting events of national and international importance. This is the only Sports Channels which telecasts rural sports like Kho-Kho, Kabbadi etc. something which private broadcasters will not attempt to telecast as it will not attract any revenues.

Despite this DD has shortcomings too, as it is now also controlled by the Ministry of Information & Broacdcasting. 'Prasar Bharti' board which is formed on the pattern of BBC, is acting as puppet of the government.Doorsharshan does not have an independent editorial control unlike the BBC.

Prasar Bharati, its parent body has all board members appointed by the Government of India acting through the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. This control is evident in a budget that allows expenditure on "propaganda and public relations".It has been actively used especially during the Emergency for government propaganda.In 2004, it censored the airing of a controversial documentary on Jayaprakash Narayan, one of the opposition leaders during the Emergency.

In response to Pakistani propaganda in the Kashmir valley, Doordarshan launched the Kashir Channel in Kashmir for pro-Indian propaganda. DD Kashir beams programmes like Sarhad Key Do Rukh (Two faces of border), Pakistan Reporter, PTV Sacch Kya Hai (PTV! what is truth.

It has in association with All India Radio established high power transmitters along the India-Pakistan Border to counter Pakistani propaganda with its own.During Operation Bluestar, only government sources were used for reporting the story. Here Doordarshan was complicit in the production of a video that claimed acts of violence which when investigated by independent journalists were found to be false.