India’s Doordarshan acquires ‘must carry’ status

Television public broadcaster Doordarshan has received the support of the Indian Information & Broadcasting Ministry in its request to gain ‘must carry’ status on the country’s cable networks.

The Ministry has issued a mandatory notification to the cable MSOs that 21 Doordarshan channels, plus 3 others, must be carried once the MSOs have digitised their circuits.

India’s government has recently made a grant of $500 million to the broadcaster to upgrade its technology, and quality of programming in TV and radio. Doordarshan is viewed by around 32 million viewers across the nation.