What does Doordarshan telecast?

IN Research Studies | 01/09/2014
A one-month content mapping of five DD channels shows a consistent pattern in the programing priorities of the broadcaster. Entertainment predominates because Doordarshan is forced to earn its own revenues.
A MEDIA FOUNDATION STUDY. PIX: Karampur, Surguja, Chhattisgarh

CONTENT MAPPING 

This report is based on a 2012 exercise in mapping the content carried out on five DD channels during the first year of the study. The objective was to understand the content categories of the programmes telecast.
 
Channels taken:
  • DD Saptagiri, Andhra Pradesh
  • DD Oriya, Odisha
  • DD Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh
  • DD Girnar, Gujarat
  • DD National 
Findings in brief
 
  • Entertainment claimed the highest share of programming across channels, ranging from 12 per cent to as high as 51 per cent of the total telecast.
  • Art and Culture was another dominant category with its share ranging from 7.5 per cent to 17 per cent.
  • The slot for entertainment on DD National was nearly four times the combined share of agriculture, education, health, information and science and technology.
  • The share of entertainment programmes on DD Saptagiri (Andhra Pradesh) was larger than the combined share of information, education, health, agriculture, sports, news and current affairs.
  • The volume of teleshopping on DD Oriya was four times that of informative programmes. The time allotted to teleshopping was also more than the combined share of health, agriculture, education, sports and current affairs.
  • More than 11 per cent of the telecast on DD Chhattisgarh was on government schemes, much higher than the combined share of news and current affairs.
  • The volume of non-fiction, non-entertainment shows targeted at women did not exceed 2.68 per cent of the total telecast on any channel.
  • DD Girnar (Gujarat) had the maximum volume of youth-specific programmes but it was just 1.64 per cent of the total telecast. DD Saptagiri (Andhra Pradesh) had the least volume in this segment at 0.08 per cent.
  • The volume of programmes on science and technology did not go beyond 1 per cent of the total telecast.
  • The share of devotional/spiritual programmes on DD Saptagiri (10.88 per cent) was much more than the combined share of information and current affairs programmes (8.1 per cent).
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