New Delhi: Doordarshan has significantly widened its rural reach in recent years, strengthening both television and radio access across the country. Since 2019, the public broadcaster has launched six new television channels and upgraded 17 others, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The expansion of content pipelines has been matched by a surge in distribution capacity through DD Free Dish, the free-to-air Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform operated by Prasar Bharati. From a modest bouquet of 104 channels in 2019, Free Dish today beams 510 channels into homes. The current mix includes 92 private broadcasters, 50 Doordarshan channels, and 320 educational services, making it one of the largest free DTH offerings in the world. In addition, 48 Akashvani radio services—such as FM Gold, Rainbow, and Vividh Bharati—are also available through the platform.
Parallel to television growth, Community Radio Stations (CRS) have emerged as a vital communication tool in rural India. Since 2019, 264 new CRS have been commissioned nationwide, while 26 of them have received direct government financial support since 2020–21 to ensure operational sustainability. Studies have shown that community radio fosters local participation, safeguards cultural identity, and provides trusted, hyper-local information in areas underserved by mainstream media. For instance, a 2019 survey in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, revealed that over 73% of listeners recognised jingles and public service messages on Akashvani Raigarh, with two-thirds tuning in at least once a week.
Recognising the shift in viewing habits, Prasar Bharati has also moved into the digital space. In 2024, it unveiled WAVES, its official OTT platform, which integrates content from Doordarshan and All India Radio into one destination accessible on smartphones, tablets, and connected TVs.
Together, these initiatives underline the government’s push to strengthen media access and information delivery in rural and semi-urban India, ensuring that state broadcasting remains both relevant and widely available in the digital era.
