SAT: Television for Change

With funding from the Planning Commission, Darpana Communications recently created new programming and produced a mini band of programmes that aired on Doordarshan Gujarati for one month with the aim of becoming the pilot project for other Doordarshan Kendras.

The programmes covered issues ranging from human rights to education to health care to citizen's rights to issues of violence, coexistence, celebrating diversity, literacy, employment generation, basic values, the processes of democracy, the environment, panchayat raj, gender equity and more. Specifically, there were four broad subject areas which were identified in consonance with the central Government's thrust areas and by NGOs working at the grassroots in Gujarat. These were women's empowerment, children and adolescent issues, health and water.

The programming targeted primarily semi urban and urban audiences, and people living in city slums and lower middle class neighbourhoods. Whenever the time slots available allowed for reaching rural audiences, rural issues were highlighted. The main aim was to make people proactive partners in the path to improve and empower their own lives so that they take responsibility for change while accessing financial and other help available to them.
Approval for an extension of the pilot project is now being awaited.