NEW DELHI, JAN 28: Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan today questioned the relevance of the the 20-year-old Prasar Bharati concept in view of the sea-change in the electronic media scenario and asserted that government cannot cut itself off completely from the broadcasting body.``About a set-up in which only half a dozen people run Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR) for six years, I have my reservations,'' Mahajan said during a `meet the press' at the women's press corps here.He said the government cannot cut itself off completely from the functioning of DD and AIR by merely giving Rs 1700 crore to the Prasar Bharati annually.The Minister was critical of the functioning of the Prasar Bharati saying DD was losing Rs 70 lakhs per week following the decision to discontinue telecast of old Hindi movies.
Besides, he said the DD had not made arrangements for the use of a transponder available to the Prasar Bharati.
Calling for a national debate on the Prasar Bharati, he said when it wasconceived in 1977, DD was the only electronic media in the country.Mahajan said in a competitive atmosphere ``the government channel had no option but to be `objective' and that has been achieved.''
He suggested that an anomalous situation had arisen as at present the Prasar Bharati was not accountable to parliament. Asked whether government planned to amend the Prasar Bharati Act, he said it was for the parliament to debate and decide on the issue.
On the controversial issue of DTH, he denied suggestions that DTH would sound the death knell for cable operators.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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