As a result of the evolving trends in the broadcast industry and DD Free Dish available in the country, Prasar Bharti has shut down over 1,200 Doordarshan Analogue Terrestrial Transmitters. In a written reply presented to the Rajya Sabha, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that Doordarshan’s analogue terrestrial TV transmitters, which carry a single channel, have become obsolete, he explained.
There are more than 150 free-to-air TV channels, including 51 educational channels, carried by DD Free Dish, a direct-to-home service of Prasar Bharati. Staff from these installations are typically re-trained and redeployed according to need, so employees are not likely to be impacted by this decision. AIR and DD Kendra content is not affected by the rationalization of obsolete terrestrial transmitters, he explained.