NEW DELHI: Doordarshan (DD) completed 64 years of its service on Friday. The experimental broadcaster began on September 15, 1959, which turned into a regular service in 1965 when DD began beaming signals to homes in and around the national capital. Then President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the first broadcast.
By 1972, the services were extended to Mumbai and Amritsar. Within the next three years, its expansion went to seven more cities. Since then, DD has been expanding its presence among the masses.
Doordarshan is an autonomous public service broadcaster and functions under the Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the country in terms of studio and transmitter infrastructure.
On DD’s foundation day, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said that the transformation of the channel from black and white to vivid colours reflects the journey of our nation, which finds resonance with every Indian.
“Sixty-four years of unforgettable tales, iconic works and numerous memories… The journey from broadcasting for just 30 minutes to the coverage of the G20 Summit in 4k quality speaks of the transformation Bharat has undergone and is continuously witnessing under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi. I take this moment to thank and appreciate all the people who have been involved with Doordarshan. Every Indian is grateful to you,” the minister posted on micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter).
From 1959 to 1976, DD service was part of the All India Radio (AIR), a national public radio broadcaster. On April 1, 1976, it transformed to become a separate department in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and later it was brought under the control of Prasar Bharati.
A new signature image was designed by the National Institute of Design and a signature tune was created by Pandit Ravi Shankar. The first telecast in colour took place on August 15, 1982, when the national programme started.
With modern technological changes, Doordarshan has gone digital and reached the palms of individuals.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, also extended his greetings to the channel for completing 64 years of service.
“For a generation that grew up listening to radio, the advent of television was a revolutionary surprise and this signature tune was almost a part of our lives! Best wishes to DD National on completing 64 years of DD Nostalgia,” he too posted on X, along with a video of the signature DD tune.
At present, Doordarshan has 35 satellite channels and 66 studio centres across the country, a DD DTH earth station at Todapur in Delhi and 55 transmitters of varying power.