History of Television in India

The first television transmission in India started with the experimental telecast on 15th September 1959 in Delhi. A single transmitter and a makeshift studio were the only equipment used for this purpose. The regular daily transmission started in 1965 as a part of All India Radio. The television service was extended to Bombay and Amritsar in 1972. It was later extended to seven more Indian cities in 1975. Television services were separated from radio in 1976. National telecasts were started in 1982. Color television sets and small screen programs were launched in the Indian market in the same year. At that time there was only one national channel Doordarshan which was owned and run by the central government.

The Ramayana and Mahabharata were the first major television series produced. Due to overwhelming interest of the people the government opened up another channel DD 2 which was later renamed DD Metro. Both channels were broadcast terrestrially. During the mid-eighties Doordarshan introduced a number entertainment programs which included music, arts and soap operas. The first Indian television serial was Hum Log in 1984. Waglekiduniya(1988), Buniyad(1986) were some of the popular serials of that time. Mythological serials like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Chandrakantha and Sword of Tipu sultan gained more audience for Doordharshan. Doordharshan also telecasted Hindi film songs programmes like Chithrahaar, Super hit Muqabla and Rangoli. VikramBetal, Malgudi days, Tenali Rama were some of the shows for children. Doordarshan includes regional language satellite channels, state networks, international channel and all India channels like DD National, DD News, DD Sports, DD Gyandarshan, DD Bharati, Loksabha Channel and DD Urdu.

PrasarBharathi

PrasarBharati is a self-governing body formed by an act of parliament. It comprises of Doordharshan television network and All India radio and is the largest public broadcaster of India. The act which grants autonomy for PrasarBharathi was passed in 1990, and it was enacted on 15th September 1997.

Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE)

SITE is a landmark experiment in the Indian television history which was a community television programme. Community television is a type of system which transmits television programmes exclusively for a selected community of people. It was conducted between August 1975 and July 1976. Under this programme villages were given educational programmes through television sets using ATS-6 satellite. Six Indian states were given this privilege in the beginning. The telecasts happened twice a day, in the morning and evening. Other than agricultural information, health and family planning were the other important topics dealt with in these programmes. Entertainment was also included in these telecasts in the form of dance, music, drama, folk and rural art forms.

Gyan Darshan is a satellite based TV channel devoted to educational and developmental needs of the society. It offers distance education through Virtual Class Room mode and interactive learning.