Centre must let public broadcaster do its job
Reports that the Sam Pitroda-led expert committee reviewing the functioning of Prasar Bharati is expected to recommend greater autonomy for the country's public broadcaster would have been heartening had only the Government a better record of implementing such suggestions. Since 1996, four similar panels have been constituted to look into the many problems that plague Prasar Bharati, and their reports have only gathered dust. There is, therefore, little hope that the efforts of Mr Pitroda's committee in examining, yet again, Prasar Bharati's “relationship with the Government” will make a better impact.
Proof of this lies in the fact that only last week a parliamentary standing committee issued a stinging rebuke to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the latter’s “non-serious” approach towards reforming Prasar Bharati. The parliamentary panel took strong exception to the fact that, despite its directive that the Government work with the Sam Pitroda committee on reviewing the institutional framework of Prasar Bharati, the ministry has done precious little apart, from passing on the responsibility to the public broadcaster. Similarly, earlier this year, the Government's much-touted efforts to revamp DD News turned out to be a damp squib after at least one high-profile editor, brought in to improve the channel’s programming, quit soon after. He was reportedly disappointed with the Government's editorial interference, even though he had been promised that there would be none.
The problem here is that even though in theory the Government supports the idea of an autonomous public broadcaster, in practice it has never been able to let go. Unless this fundamental dichotomy is resolved —either the Government gives up control or relinquishes the autonomy idea — the Government will continue to have a complicated relationship with Prasar Bharati, no matter how many expert committees it sets up. In the meantime, the tax-payer-funded broadcaster will continue to drain the exchequer and be of even less use to the public. On December 20, the ministry announced that it will invest Rs 3,500 crore on upgrading Prasar Bharati's broadcast infrastructure and network development, especially in border areas.
While this is an important initiative, especially to counter the anti-India content broadcast by some of our neighbours in these areas, it is unlikely to make a difference. Past experience shows that the thousands of crores spent by the Government in past years on similar infrastructure improvement projects have failed due to sheer mismanagement — and consequently, fewer people watch Doordarshan, switching instead to private channels which offer better content though at a higher price. The public broadcaster has an important role to play in the larger public good. There need not be any clash between quality programming and serving a national cause. Prasar Bharati ought to have understood it long ago. It’s still not late.