NEW DELHI: Aiming at wider viewership and to provide round-the-clock wholesome entertainment, the public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is set to introduce a 24-hour entertainment-film channel of Doordarshan (DD). Union minister for information and broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur recently told this newspaper that the Government is working upon the idea of bringing DD’s 24-hour channel, which would be launched soon.
“DD used to have a 24-hour entertainment channel, which was shut down. We want to re-launch it again,” said Thakur. DD Metro, a free-to-air television entertainment channel, was converted into an all day and all night television news channel branded as DD News in 2003.
At present, 36 satellite channels including 24X7 regional channels are operational under DD network besides a free-to-air DTH service. The minister further said (over-the-top) OTT platforms are being approached to invite them for exclusive rights for its programmes.