Making out a strong case for granting total autonomy to
Prasar Bharati, a government-appointed expert committee has recommended
amendments to the Prasar Bharati Act, 1990 to give “effective freedom to
the public broadcaster with administrative and financial powers.”
It
calls for reorganisation of the Prasar Bharati Board to make it a
professionally managed body effective in guiding the organisation. The
committee also strongly batted for the use of social media by Prasar
Bharati “which can be implemented immediately” and defining a social
media strategy for the organisation.
It has called
for setting up of a ‘Prasar Bharati connect’ as a third arm of the
public service broadcaster independent of the Doordarshan and All India
Radio and mandate it to manage the various social media initiatives of
the organisation.
Headed by Sam Pitroda, the
committee has said a funding mechanism should be developed for Prasar
Bharati to address the need for autonomy with financial accountability.
The report was presented to Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish
Tewari here on Friday.
“Enough discussions on these
recommendations have taken place and I hope we start implementing some
of them if not all of them. We cannot wait for too long to start
implementation,” Mr. Pitroda told reporters while releasing the report.
The
committee, tasked with reviewing the institutional framework of Prasar
Bharati, including its relationship with the government, has
acknowledged that it needs state funding and will therefore have to
broadcast the government's “messages and accomplishments of public
interest”.
Another of the expert committee's major
recommendations is monetising Prasar Bharati’s assets, including vast
tracts of land across the country where the shortwave radio transmitters
that are no longer used were set up.
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