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Narrowcasting is the current buzzword in broadcasting. It involves the coverage of smaller areas with location specific programmes whereby the intimacy between the medium and the viewer gets stronger. Doordarshan has taken the initiative of introducing narrowcasting to address specific local issues related to the lifestyle of the people residing in the coverage areas. India being a predominantly agrarian nation, agriculture and other related areas automatically gain precedence in rural broadcasting. Appropriately, Doordarshan’s narrowcasting addresses these issues.
Narrowcasting by Doordarshan, which started in 2000 initially involved 12 LPT’s and included programmes of local genre telecast once/twice weekly. The content of these programmes was based on some formative research to enable the broadcast to become meaningful for ensuring the socio-economic development of the coverage region. A study done by the Audience Research Unit Doordarshan revealed that the people of the coverage zone have very well received narrowcasting and it has also helped them in implementing some of the latest agricultural techniques imparted through programmes.
Based on this concept a Kisan Channel was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister in January 2004.
The narrowcast Agriculture programme continue to be broadcast for half hour from Monday to Friday at 3 levels – National, Regional and Local(Micro).
The National level programme is centrally produced and telecast from Delhi at 6.30 A.M. through Satellite and on terrestrial transmitters of DDI National.
The Regional level programme is produced and telecast from 18 Regional Kendras at about 6.30 P.M. and the terrestrial transmitters within the coverage zone of the Kendras relay the programme from the respective regional Kendras.
The Regional programme has repeat telecast in satellite mode on the next morning at 6.30 A.M.
The local level or narrowcast programme is produced and telecast locally from 36 narrowcast clusters (180 transmitters) at about 6.30 P.M.
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