Launched 3 November 2003 Broadcast area IndiaWorldwide | ||
Language HindiEnglishSanskritUrdu |
Doordarshan News, usually referred to by its abbreviation as DD News, is India's only 24-hour terrestrial TV news channel. The Prasar Bharati company board approved the proposal to start a 24-hour news channel in place of DD Metro, which was closing. This was subsequently approved by the Union Cabinet in an 3 October 2003 meeting.
Contents
DD Metro was converted into a 24-hour TV news channel, into DD News, which launched on 3 November 2003. Its terrestrial reach is 21.6% by area and 44.9% by population of India.
The DD News mobile app for Android and Apple was launched on 7 May 2015 by the I&B Minister of India Shri Arun Jaitly which aims to instantly communicate news on a 24x7 basis.
History
DD News quickly gained popularity among the viewers, exceeding its commercial revenue target of Rs. 2 crores for 2003-04, and the channel earned Rs. 10 crores. The popularity of the channel amongst advertisers continues unabated and the revenue figures for the current year (04-05) have already crossed Rs. 10 crores. The main reason for this is that DD News is a free channel unlike the private and better channels that are pay channels.
India's public broadcaster Doordarshan benefitted immensely from DD News's launch, as its in-house production churned out lots of quality content, achieving economies of scale.
Initially, after experiencing a partnership with CNN, Doordarshan launch a news and current affairs channel DD CNNi in 1995. At other hand, DD was playing major games to cater international audience via its DD International channel, and also providing English News-Views-Current Affairs and Infotainment programmings to Indian audience via its DD3 channel. Its DD National and DD Metro channels were also deliviring news content, and many of the private producers too had their news programs on DD Channels. To encash all these DD Launch its DD News Channel in late 1999, which was failed due to lack of viewership and sponsors as it was not available on tressstrial mode. They converted it in DD Bharati on 26 January 2002.
Later DD Again launched its DD News Channel by replacing DD Metro in 2003 and assured its availability on terrestrial mode.. DD News is India's only 24-hour terrestrial news channel. It telecasts over 16 hours of live news bulletins daily in Hindi, English, Sanskrit, and Urdu. Regional News Units attached to different Doordarshan Kendras also telecast daily news bulletins in regional languages. News headlines and breaking news updates are regular features, and headlines are even accessible via SMS.
DD News also carries financial information about stocks and commodities, accessing information from the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in addition to leading commodity exchanges including the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) and the MCX Stock Exchange.
New look
DD News has undergone several logo changes and one was finalised on 26 January 2013.
The latest change was on 1 January 2015 with DD News coming up with a new tagline which is "Only News, Complete News"
Mobile application
Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on 7 May 2015 launched a mobile application of DD News and said the audience was extremely keen to have a comprehensive view of issues and events.
The application will provide DD News a platform to instantly communicate news on a 24x7 basis and it has added a new dimension to its profile, he said, adding that the application will address the needs of viewers who sought information through the mobile phone.