Doordarshan

Doordarshan (often abbreviated DD) is autonomous India's Central Government founded public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of India's largest broadcasting organisations in terms of studio and transmitter infrastructure. Recently, it has also started broadcasting on digital terrestrial transmitters. The DD provides television, radio, online and mobile services throughout metropolitan and regional India, as well as overseas through the Indian Network and Radio India.

For the 2012 London Olympics, live telecasts of the opening and closing ceremonies of the games were broadcast on its national channel. DD sports channel has provided round-the-clock coverage of sport events. On 15 September 2009, Doordarshan celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Beginning

Doordarshan had a modest beginning an experimental telecast starting in Delhi on 15 September 1959, with a small transmitter and a makeshift studio. The regular daily transmission started in 1965 as a part of All India Radio. Doordarshan began a five-minute news bulletin in the same year in 1965. Pratima Puri was the first newsreader. Salma Sultan joined Doordarshan in 1967 and later became a news anchor. The television service was extended to Bombay (now Mumbai) and Amritsar in 1972. Up until 1975, only seven Indian cities had a television service and Doordarshan remained the sole provider of television in India. Television services were separated from radio on 1 April 1976. Each office of All India Radio and Doordarshan were placed under the management of two separate Director Generals in New Delhi. Finally, in 1982, Doordarshan as a National Broadcaster came into existence. Krishi Darshan was the first program telecast on Doordarshan. It commenced on 26 January 1967 and is one of the longest running programs on Indian television.