50 Year to Doordarshan, A Golden Era of Doordarshan

Though the entertainment and movie industry has reached great heights today, it must be said that the roots and origin of entertainment came from the authentic Doordarshan. Yesterday, the Doordarshan has crossed one benchmark as it completed 50 years of its existence. Doordarshan, the public broadcaster completed its 50th year of existance on Tuesday.15 September, 1959 was the first day when the transmission of television programme begian in India at a make shift studio in the All India Radio building. Pramita Puri was the first announcer who started the programme with “shehnai recital' of Ustaad Bismillah Khan. The programme was transmitted in a radius of 25 kilometers with a small transmitters. From Black& White to becoming colour in 1982 to digital telecast in 2004, the public broadcaster has grown with tune of time. 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. Till 1975, seven Indian cities had television service and Doordarshan remained the only television channel in India. Television services were separated from radio in 1976. Each office of All India Radio and Doordarshan were placed under the management of two separate Director Generals in New Delhi. Finally Doordarshan as a National Broadcaster came into existence.
National telecasts were introduced in 1982. In the same year, colour TV was introduced in the Indian market with the live telecast of the Independence Day speech by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on 15 August 1982, followed by the 1982 Asian Games being held in Delhi. Now more than 90 percent of the Indian population can receive Doordarshan (DD National) programmes through a network of nearly 1400 terrestrial transmitters and about 46 Doordarshan studios produce TV programs today. The first ever daily soap Hum Log and later on Buniyaad and Nukkad and mythological dramas like Ramayan (1987-88) and Mahabharat (1989-90) glued millions to Doordarshan and later on Bharat Ek Khoj, The Sword of Tipu Sultan and The Great Maratha. Hindi film songs based programs like Chitrahaar, Rangoli, Ek Se Badkar Ek, Superhit Muqabla. Crime thrillers like Karamchand, Barrister Roy, Byomkesh Bakshi, Reporter, Tehkikaat and Janki Jasoos,Suraag were popular among the masses.Presently, Doordarshan operates 19 channels – two All India channels-DD National and DD News, 11 Regional languages Satellite Channels, four State Networks, an International channel, a Sports Channel.