Doordarshan :: Is a comeback possible?

Yesterday night, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressed the nation on Doordarshan about the recent decisions on economic reforms. This live telecast made me nostaglic about our beloved old Idiot Box and I decided to raise an important question about its reincarnation, is a comeback possible for state-run television channel Doordarshan? That’s the question that will be on the minds of millions of Doordarshan fans. In recent years, Doordarshan has failed to live up to the standards it set from the early 1980s up until the late 1990s.

While television serials, reality shows have increased manifold with the sprouting of hundreds of private television channels, the quality of programmes, viewers insist, has dropped drastically. Doordarshan enthusiasts also insist that a new Doordarshan TV serials have failed to live up to the standards of the earlier generations.

According to Tarjeet Sabharwal, a media expert and author of “Satellite Television: An Impact on Social Participation, “The only way the channel can leap forward is by developing relevant shows that cater to all sections of society. Drastic measures involving public participation are needed, with greater market research, better quality of broadcasts, more shows that cater to urban India and the addition of creative and innovative series.”

Most of the new Doordarshan serials haven’t been overly successful as they just emulate other private TV channels. Other major problems are Doordarshan’s obsolete technology, Government’s red tape and scripts from bygone times, it’s hardly surprising that the private production companies have also lost interest in Doordarshan.

There is no denying the fact that the emergence of private channels have lessened down the craze for which Doordarshan was once known in whole country. However, still it is the best in terms of relevance, authenticity and to-the-point programs no new TV channel can match the class of Old Doordarshan. Believe me, hundreds of private TV channels are unable to produce the magic which the lone state channel had embarked since its inception in black and white era.

So guys what’s your take on this issue, can Doordarshan ever make a comeback and compete with new private channels, rather than simply following them around.