MPs may get free DTH from Prasar Bharati

The Prasar Bharati Corporation may have hit upon the best possible way to keep MPs in good humour. The Direct to Home DTH service, inaugur...

The Prasar Bharati Corporation may have hit upon the best possible way to keep MPs in good humour.

The Direct to Home DTH service, inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week, will be available in the houses of 26 MPs who form the Consultative Committee of the I038;B Ministry for 8216;8216;wholesome entertainment8217;8217;, official sources in the corporation said.

Tomorrow, when the Committee meets to take a critical view of the Ministry8217;s achievements, they will also be treated to a DTH presentation by the Corporation8217;s CEO K.S. Sarma. He, however, refused to confirm the distribution of DTH equipment to the MPs.

It is learnt that the MPs, like all those who are expected to buy the Korean set-top boxes, will get to watch 33 channels 8212; which will include some news channels, all religious channels and a dozen All India Radio channels.

To begin with, the Government-sponsored DTH has cost the Corporation Rs 39 crore, and is aimed at 20 million aam janta households, accustomed to watching just one DD channel.

The Corporation is banking on the 900 dealers of DTH equipment to hardsell the set-top boxes required to access the channels. A notice is likely to be put up, inviting dealers to join in the distribution of the boxes after they have deposited Rs 10 lakh as earnest money. Then, they will required to deposit a minimum of Rs 2 crore as bank guarantee, which will be encashed if the services delivered are below par.

DIRECT TO HOME AND SET TOP BOXES

	nbsp;	8226; Prasar Bharati has set up a Ku-band earth station under a Rs 164-crore pilot project at Todapur in Delhi 8226; For this, the Corporation has hired high power transponders on the Netherlands8217; New Skies Satellite NSS-6 through ISRO for up-linking 30 channels 8226; Viewers, other than MPs on the Consultative Committee and senior I038;B officials, will receive 30 channels with an initial investment of about Rs 3,000 without any recurring expenses 8226; Channels on the platform are DD Lok Sabha, DD Rajya Sabha, Sun TV, Star Utsav, MH1, Jain TV, Akash Bangla, Kairali, BBC World, ETC Punjabi, Smile TV, ZEE Music, Aaj Tak, ETV Marathi to name a few 8226; The Corporation has distributed at least 10,000 STBs to public institutions like anganwadis, schools, public health centres, panchayats, youth clubs and cooperative societies in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, MP, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and the North-East	nbsp;