History of Indian Journalism

HISTORY OF INDIAN JOURNALISM “The over-2000-years history of the Indian Press, from the time of Hicky to the present day, is the history of a struggle for freedom, which has not yet ended. There have been alternating periods of freedom and of restrictions on freedom amounting to repression. The pioneering works on the Indian Press, like that of Margarita Barns, were stories of arbitrariness and despotism, of reforms and relaxation. The story of the Indian Press is a story of steady expansion but also one of Press laws.” The first newspaper meant for publication was ‘announced’ in 1776 by William Bolts. He asked those interested to come to his residence to read the news. This ‘newspaper’ had the twin function of informing the British community of news from ‘home’, and of ventilating grievances against the colonial administration.

Hicky’s Gazette But it was not until James Augustus Hicky dared to start his Bengal Gazette (also called Hicky’s Gazette) in 1780 that the age of Journalism dawned in the country. England had already had a taste of the Spectator papers of Addison and Steele, and of lesser known periodicals as well, and learnt about the power of the periodical essayists, to laugh to scorn the manners and mores of society, and of those in high places. Political and social corruption was rife among the British sent to rule the country when Hicky, a printer by profession, launched his Gazette ‘in order to purchase freedom for my mind and soul’. He described the Bengal Gazette (later called Hicky’s Gazette) as a ‘weekly political and commercial paper open to all parties but influenced by none’. His venom was aimed at individuals like Mrs. Warren Hastings and their private affairs. He published announcements of marriages and engagements, and of ‘likely’ engagements.8 The Gazette was, in essence, no better than a scandal sheet. Barely a year later, Sir Warren Hastings denied all postal facilities to Hicky who hit back with these ringing words: ‘Mr. Hicky considers the Liberty of the Press to be essential to the very existence of an Englishman and a free Government. The subject should have full liberty to declare his principles and opinions, and every act which tends to coerce that liberty is tyrannical and injurious to the community’.

In June the following year (1781), Hicky was arrested and thrust into jail, from where he continued writing for the Gazette. He was stopped from ‘bringing out his weekly only when the types used for printing were seized’. Five newspapers made their appearance in Bengal in six years’ time-all started by Englishmen. Some of these newspapers received Government patronage. The Madras Courier and the Bombay Herald (which later merged with the Bombay Courier) were then launched in the two cities. They were subservient to the Government, and therefore flourished. The total circulation of all these weeklies was not more than 2,000; yet, the Government issued Press Regulations (1799) making the publication of the name of the printer, editor and proprietor obligatory. The regulation also ordered these to declare themselves to the secretary of the Government ; and to submit all was established with the aid of Government grant and in the North West Provinces, a Hindu and an Urdu periodicals started of under the Government patronage. The Bengali Press with as many as nine Newspaper. Material for prior examination to the same authority. Precensorship was to dog the Indian journalist for many years to come.

Indian language Press The pioneers of Indian language journalism were the Serampore Missionaries with Samachar Darpan and other Bengali periodicals, and Raja Ram Mohan Roy with his Persian newspaper Miraltool Akbar. The object of Ram Mohan Roy , the social reformer, in starting the paper was ‘to lay before the public such articles of intelligence as may increase their experience, and tend to their social improvement’ , and to ‘indicate to the rulers a knowledge of the real situation of their subjects , and make the subjects acquainted with the established laws and customs of their rules’. Roy ceased publishing his paper later in protest against the Government’s Press Regulations. The Bombay Samachar , a Gujarati newspaper, appeared in 1822. It was almost a decade before daily vernacular papers like Mumbai Vartaman (1830). The Jan-e-Jamshed (1831), and the Bombay Darpan (1850) began publication. In the South, a Tamil, and a Telugu newspaper . In 1839 had a circulation of around 200 copies each, even as the British Press with 26 newspapers (six of them dailies) grew in strength and power, under the liberal rule of Lord Metcalfe, and later of Lord Auckland.

Censorship and the mutiny The year of what the British historians term ‘the Sepoy Mutiny’, however, brought back the Press restriction in the form of the Gagging Act, 1857 Lord Canning argued for them, stating that ‘there are times in the existence of every state in which something of the liberties and rights, which it jealously cherishes and scrupulously guards in ordinary Seacons, must be sacrificed for the public welfare . Such is the State of India at this moment. Such a time has come upon us. The liberty of the Press is no exception.’ The mutiny brought the rule of the East India Company to a close, with the Crown taking over the colony’, with the promise of religious toleration and Press freedom. The main topics of discussion in the English and vernacular Press before and after the Mutiny were sati, caste, widow remarriage, polygamy, crimes, and opposition to the teaching of English in schools and colleges. Bombay’s Gujarati Press in particular, excelled in the defence of the Indian way of life. In 1876 the Vernacular Press Act was promulgated. During the next two decades The Times of India, the Pioneer, the Madras Mail, and The Amrit Bazar Patrika came into existence –all except the last edited by English men and serving the interest of English educated readers. The English Press played down the inaugural meeting of the Indian national congress on December 28, 1885 in Bombay, but it was reported at length by the vernacular papers such as Kesari (founded by Lokmanya Tilak). The Amrit Bazar Patrika and Kesari soon gained a reputation for opposing Government attempts to suppress nationalist aspirations. The Amrit Bazaar Patrika, for instance, denounced the deposition of the maharaja of Kashmir, and Kesari was foremost in attacking the Age of consent Bill of 1891 , which sought to prohibit the consummation of marriage before a bride completed the age of 12.The Kesari’s stand was enedorsed by the Amrit Bazar Patrika and Bangabasi of Calcutta on the ground that the Government had no right to interfere with traditional Hindu customs. Tilak charged the Government with disrespect for the liberty and privacy of the Indian people and with negligence in providing relief during the Countrywide famine in 1896 – 97, which resulted in the death of over a million people . Such savage anti- Government sentiments could not be allowed free play and so Lord Elgin added sections to the Indian Penal Code to enable the Government to deal with promotion of ‘disaffection’ against the Crown; or of enmity and hatred between different classes. Also prohibited was the circulation of any reports with intent to cause mutiny among British troops, intent to cause such fear or alarm among the public as to cause any person to commit an offence against the state, or intent to incite any class or to commit an offence against the state, or intent to incite any class or community. The penalties for offences ranged from life imprisonment to short imprisonment or fines.

The man who became the most note worthy victim of these new laws was none other than Bal Gangadhar Tilak, editor of Kesari and its English companion, Mahratha. He was arrested, convicted and jailed for six years, but Kesari continued to build up its reputation and influence as a national daily, as India woke to the 20th century. Other campaigns of Press freedom who were prosecuted at about the same time wear Aurobindo Ghose of Bande Mataram, B.B. Upadhayaya of Sandhaya of Sandhay and B.N. Dutt of Jugantar. In 1910, the Indian Press Act clamped further controls on newspaper in the wake of the partition of Bengal and violent attacks by terrorists in Ahmedabad, Ambala and elsewhere. The Act required owners of printing Presses to deposit securities of Rs.500 to Rs. 2,000, which were forfeited if ‘ objectionable matters’ were printed. The threats of seizure of the printing Press, and confiscation of copies sent by post were also included in the Act. The vernacular Press suffered rigorous suppression during this period (1910-1914). The Government banned 50 works in English and 272 in the vernacular, which included 114 in Marathi, 52 in Urdu and 51 in Bengali.” World War I introduced still more severe Press laws but there was no let-up in nationalist agitations. Annie Besant’s New India became the mouthpiece of Home Rule advocates , ably supported by the Bombay Chronicle (edited by Benjamin Horniman), Maratha (edited by N.C.Kelkar) and other publications. The Government reacted swiftly by exiling Annie Besant , deporting Horniman and imposing new securities on offending publications. The Rowlatt Act of 1919 infuriated Indian opinion, which now came under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. His Non Co-operation Movement took the Press by storm. Gandhi was to remain front-page news for years to come. His arrests and imprisonments were covered with relish by the English and the vernacular Press , whose readership now rose dramatically. The Swaraj Party led by C.R Das, Vallabhbahi Patel and motilal Nehru, launched its own publications –the Banglar Katha in Calcutta. The Swadesh Mitram in the South, and Hindustan Times, Pratap and Basumati in the North. The Indian Press Ordinance (1930), like the Press Act of 1910, and five other Ordinances gave added to the Government in dealing with acts of terrorism, and inflammatory literature. The Swadeshi Movement, covered prominently by the Press, as in The Hindu (Madras) led to the imprisonment of leaders like Gandhi and Nehru, and of editors like S.A. Brelvi of Bombay Chronicle and Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi of Pratap. The Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act of 1931 raised deposit securities and fines, and gave Magistrates the power to issue summary actions. Several other Acts were made law during the thirties, forcing the closure of many Presses and publications.

Meanwhile, The Free Press of India, which began as a news agency, started The Indian Express and Dhenamani in Madras, The Free Press Journal in Bombay, and Gujarati and Marathi Journals. The News agency collapsed after it forfeited Rs. 20,000 security under the Indian Press (Emergency Powers) Act, but its publications continued under different owners, and The Free Press editors Stated a new agency called the United Press of India (U.P.I.) Then came the Quit India Movement , and World War II, and the Press in India, including the English language Press and that in the Indian Native States played a commendable role in reporting the struggle for freedom fairly. It opposed communal riots and the partition of the Country, and when partition did take place in the glorious year of independence, lamented it. Indeed, it could be said that that the Press played no small part in India’s victory to freedom of speech and expression upheld the freedom of the Press. While the obnoxious Press Acts were repealed or amended, the Official Secrets Act and sections of the Indian code dealing with disaffection, communal hatred and incitement of armed forces to disloyalty, were retained. The Nehru Government Passed in October 1951 the Press (Objectionable Matters) Act which was reminiscent of earlier Press laws enacted by the colonial rulers. The ‘objectionable matters’ were quite comprehensive. So fierce was the opposition to it that in 1956,it was allowed to lapse, and the First Press Commission was formed. The national and regional Press covered the campaigns of the first national elections of 19511952 with professional skill. So were the other events of the Nehru era, like the formation of the linguistic States, the second and third general elections. The Chinese attack , and the take-over of Goa. Unlike her father, Mrs. Indira Gandhi had never been at ease with the Press. How much freedom can the Press have in a country like India fighting poverty, backwardness, ignorance, disease and superstitions ?’ asked she in the first year of her regime The national dailies grew strident in their attacks on her Government , especially on the question of nationalization of banks, privy purses, the Congress split , but joined forces with her during the Bangla Desh war of liberation . The attacks reached their climax in the period prior to the emergency, with open accusations of rampant corruption, and demands for her resignation, followed by the Allahabad High Court’s verdict of her being guilty of corrupt election practices.

1780 The first newspaper in India was published by James Hicky in January 1780. It was called the Bengal Gazette and announced itself as “a weekly political and commercial paper open to all parties but influenced by none”. Bengal Gazette was a two-sheet paper measuring 12 inches by 8 inches, most of the space being occupied by advertisements. Its circulation reached a maximum of 200 copies. Within six years of Bengal Gazette, four more weeklies were launched in Kolkata (then Calcutta). 1782 Madras Courier was launched in 1782. 1791 Bombay Herald was launched in 1791. 1792 Bombay Courier was launched in 1792. It published advertisements in English and Gujarati. 1799 In 1799, the East India administration passed regulations to increase its control over the press. 1816 The first newspaper under Indian administration appeared in 1816. It was also called Bengal Gazette and was published by Gangadhar Bhattacharjee. It was a liberal paper which advocated the reforms of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Raja Ram Mohan Roy himself brought out a magazine in Persian called Mirat-ul-Ukhbar. He also published The Brahmanical Magazine, an English periodical to counteract the religious propaganda of the Christian missionaries of Serampore. 1822 In 1822, the Chandrika Samachar was started in Bengal. At the same time, Bombay Samachar was started by Ferdunji Marzban. It gave importance to social reform and commercial news in Gujarati.

1826 The first Hindi newspaper Oodunt Martand was published in 1826 from Bengal. However, it could not survive long because of its distant readership and high postal rates. Its place was soon taken by Jami Jahan Numa, a newspaper that was pro-establishment. 1832 In 1832, Bal Shastri Jambhekar launched at Anglo-Marathi newspaper from Pune. 1830-1857 A large number of short-lived newspapers were brought out in this time. Some were in Indian languages like Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Urdu and Persian. 1857 The Uprising of 1857 brought out the divide between Indian owned and British owned newspapers. The government passed the Gagging Act of 1847 and the Vernacular Press Act in 1876. After 1857, the pioneering efforts in newspapers shifted from Bengal to Mumbai. Gujarati press made great progress under the efforts of Ferdunji Marzban and Kurshedji Cama. Marathi journalism followed close behind with a distinctive educational bias. 1861 In 1861, Mr Knight merged the Bombay Standard, Bombay Times and Telegraph and brought out the first issue of Times of India. 1875 In 1875, the same Mr Knight with the backing of rich merchants from Kolkata started Indian Statesman which was later called as Statesman. Around the same time, Amrita Bazar Patrika was able to establish itself in Kolkata. Starting out as a vernacular paper, it was constantly in trouble due to its outspokenness. In order to circumvent the strict provision of the Vernacular Press Act, Amrita Bazar Patrika converted itself overnight into an English newspaper. Amrita Bazar Patrika inspired freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak to start Kesari in Pune. He used Kesari to build anti-cow killing societies, Ganesh mandals and reviving the Chhatrapati Shivaji cult. He used mass communication as a powerful political weapon.

1905 By 1905, the English and vernacular press had become pretty professional. Political leaders and social reformers were regular contributors to newspapers. Some prominent writers of the time were C Y Chintamani, G A Natesan, N C Kelkar, Phirozshah Mehta and Benjamin Horniman. Indian news was supplied by special correspondent and government hand-outs (press releases), international news was supplied by Reuters, an international news agency. 1920s and 1930s •

Newspapers in this period started reflecting popular political opinion. While big English dailies were loyal to the British government, the vernacular press was strongly nationalist.

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The Leader and Bombay Chronicle were pro-Congress.

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The Servant of India and The Bombay Chronicle were moderate.

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The Bande Mataram of Aurbindo Ghosh, Kal of Poona and Sakli of Surat were fiercely nationalist.

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In 1918, Motilal Nehru started the Independent of Lucknow as a newspaper of extreme Indian opinion.

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The Home Rule Party started Young India, which later became Mahatma Gandhiji’s mouthpiece.

As more and more Indians started learning English, many became reporters, editors and even owners. The Anglo-Indian press began to lose ground except in Bombay and Calcutta.

In 1927, industrialist G D Birla took over Hindustan Times and placed it on a sound financial footing. In the same year, S Sadanand started the Free Press Journal, a newspaper for the poor and the middle-class in Mumbai.

INDIAN PRESS HISTORY Under British Rule - Bengal Gazette (English weekly) published by James Augustus Hicky in 1780 Jan 29th from Calcutta. It was the first news paper in South Asian sub- continent - Bengal Gazette alias ‘Hicky Gazette’, ‘Calcutta General Advertiser’ - Declaration ‘a weekly political and commercial paper open to all but influenced by none’ - Hicky had his own column, many persons wrote by pen names. - Bengal Gazette could not survive more than two years due to sharp confrontation with Governer General Warren Hastings and Chief Justice Elijah Impey. - Indian Gazette as a rival to Bengal Gazette, published in the same year (1780) by Peter Read, a salt agent (backing by Hastings). - After Bengal Gazette, other publications from India were- Madras Courier weekly (1785), Bombay Herald weekly (1789) merged into Bombay Gazette in 1791, Hurukaru weekly (1793), Calcutta Chronicle (1818), Bengal Journal, Indian world, Bengal Harkarer etc. - In the early period newspapers in India were run by Britishers.

RUDYARD KIPLING A renowned man of the pen – born in Bombay – his father, a British citizen was a government officer in India – Rudyard joined Civil and Military Gazette (Lahore) in 1872 at the age of 17worked for five years in Gazette- then moved to the Pioneer- his writings specially monologue and fictions were very impressive- ‘writing and every thing associated with, is a glorious fun’, ‘I love both the fun and riot of writing’- after suffering from malaria he was compelled to left India and went to England in1890- he served about 7 years in India as a journalist- he is still remembered as a creative journalist in the history of Indian journalism- reflections of his Indian experience can be seen in his several writings.

Indian’s involvement in publication - Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the pioneer Indian journalist and social reformer - By his inspiration Gangadhar Bhattacharjee published Bengal Gazette (1816), the first Indian owned English daily newspaper, but could not survive long - Raja’s own publications- Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali 1821), Mirut ul Akhbar (Persian 1822) and Brahminical Magazine (English 1822) - Press Regulation –1823 imposed by British govt. in India to control newspapers. - The regulation was used as a tool to deport James Silk Buckingham, Editor of Calcutta Chronicle. - Raja presented a petition to Supreme Court to protest the regulation in favour of J.S. Buckingham. - It was his bold step for the preservation of press freedom, however he defeated the case. - Anti reformists Hindu fundamentalists published Samachar Chandrika weekly to challenge Raja’s social reforms. - Raja passed away in 1833 - 1857 Mutiny (the first war of Indian independence) was a turning point to Indian journalism. - In the issue of mutiny, British owned press and Indian owned press blamed each other in the lowest level. - British owned press acted like blood mongers of Indians. - This event worked as a fuel to Indian owned press against the British rule in India. - Pioneers Indian journalists on those days- Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Gangadhar Bhattacharjee, Bhawani Charan Bannerjee, Dwarkanath Tagore, Girish Chandra Ghose, Harischandra Mukharjee, Ishworchandra Vidyasagar, Kristo Pal, Manmohan Ghose, Keshub Chander Sen etc. - Other major publications by Indians- The Reformer, Enquirer, Gyan Auneshun, Bengal Herald, Bang Doot, Hindu Patriot, Indian Mirror, Sulab Samachar, etc.

After Mutiny - Standard, The Bombay Times and Telegraph merged into Times of India in 1861, Robert Knight was the owner , he was also owner of Statesman daily (1875) from Calcutta, Indian Economist monthly and Agriculture Gazette of India, his editorials and writings were balanced and impressive. - Other major publications- Indu Prakash weekly, Gyan Prakash, Lokhitavadi (all 1861), Amrit Bazar Patrika (1868 Cacutta), Pioneer (1872 Allahbad), The Hindu (1878 Chennai) , Keshari (marathi) and The Maratha (English) (both in1878 from Pune by veteran freedom fighter Balgangadhar Tilak) - Pioneer Indian Journalists- Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahadev Govinda Ranade, Dadabhoi Naoroji, Gopal Rao Hari Deshmukh, Vishu Shastri Pandit, Karsondas Mulji, Bal Sashtri Jambhekar etc. - British govt. enacted Vernacular Press Act-1878 to suppress Indian language newspapers - Indian National Congress (INC) founded in 1885. - It was led by many nationalists like Surendranath Banerjee, Balgangadhar Tilak, Dadabhoi Naoroji, Motilal Gosh, Bipin Chandra Pal, G. Subramania Aiyer, etc., who were active journalists too. - After establishment of INC, Indian press became an important part of struggle for independence.

Leading Newspapers After Establishment of INC -1900- Bangalee English Daily (ed)- Surendranath Banarjee -1901- New India English Weekly (ew)- Bipinchandra Pal - 1901- Bande Mataram – Bengalee weekly- Bipinchandra Pal - 1906- Yugantar – Bengali daily- Barendra kumar Ghose - 1909- Leader- ed- Madan Mohan Malviya - 1913- New India –ed- Annie Besant - 1913- Bombay Chronicle –ed- Phiroj Shah Mehata - 1918 –Justice- ed- Dr.T.M.Nair (published by non- Brahmin movement in Madras)

- 1918 – Searchlight- English biweekly- Shachindranath Sinha -1919- The Independent -ed– Pandit Motilal Neharu - 1919- Young India – ed- Mahatma Gandhi - 1920 – Nav Jeevan – Gujarati weeky- Mahatma Gandhi - 1922- Swarajya- ed- T.Prakasham - 1923- Forward- ed- Chittaranjan Das - 1923- The Hindustan Times –ed- K.M. Panikar (first daily in Delhi) - 1929- Liberty-ed- Subhas Chandra Bose -1932- Harijan- Gujarati weekly- Mahatma Gandhi - 1938- National Herald- Jawaharlal Neharu - Viceroy Lord Curzon Vs. Indian press - In 1907 series of arrests and prosecutions against the journalists and press - India Press Act –1910 asked for heavy security deposits - 963 publications and press were prosecuted under the act - 173 new printing press and 129 newspapers were killed at their birth by the weapon of security deposits - British govt. collected about 5 lakhs Indian Rs. in the first year of the act enforcement - During the First world war (1914-1918) Indian press were divided. - The act was forcely executed against the press who were not in support of British side in the world war. - In 1919 Jaliawala Bagh massacre was a big disaster to the Indian press. - Even the Anglo- Indian press were not escaped.

The Golden Era of Indian Mission Journalism (1920 – 1947) - Declaration of non-cooperation movement against British rule in India. - Press marched shoulder to shoulder with satyagrahis. - Mahatma Gandhi lauded for freedom of expression, ideas and people’s sentiments - Gandhi would not accept adv., he believed newspapers should survive on the revenue from subscribers - He would not accept any restrictions on the paper, he rather close it down - His writings were widely circulated and reproduced in the newspapers all over the country - A big challenge to non-Gandhian newspapers. - Gandhi declared ‘Salt Satyagraha’ in 1930 - The nationalist press played a memorable role, which perhaps is unique in the history of any freedom movement. - Press ordinance issued in 1930 to suppress Indian press through heavy security deposits. - When second world war broke out , British rulers became more suppressive to the Indian press - In 1940 UP government directed the press to submit the headlines of the news to the secretary of the information department for his pre- approval - In response to this, National Herald (newspaper run by Jawaharlal Neharu) published the news without headlines - Second world war and freedom fight gave more fuel to Indian press - Britishers charged them as ‘ pro-Hitler’ - All India Newspaper Editors Conference held in 1940 at Delhi voiced against the suppressive attitude of the British govt. - Fresh suppression and struggle started from 1942 when Quit India Movement initiated - Many press, publications and journalists including Neharu suspended and arrested in1942 - It continued until the declaration of independence in1947 August - K. Rama Rao, Editor, Swarajya “ It was more than a vocation, it was a mission and the newspaper was a noble enterprise working for patriotic purpose”.

1947 Onwards - India received independence from British rule on 1947 August 15th - The press celebrated the independence, because it was their victory too. - At the beginning of independence the relation between the national govt. and press was good, but a year after situation was changed. - P. M. Neharu, Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, etc. were not happy with the press. - Press Commission- 1952, report- 1954 - Recommendations – Press Council, press registrar, minimum basic salary for working journalists, strengthen the role of the editors - The working journalist act-1955 - The newspaper (price and page) act- 1956 - Press Council established – 1965 - P.M. Mrs. Indira Gandhi declared state of emergency on 1975 June - It was a shocking blow to the freedom of press - Ignored the press freedom guaranteed by article 19 (1) in the constitution - Heavy censorship during the emergency period under Defence Rule “ in order to maintain public order…” - 1975 Dec 8th ordinance banned the publication of all ‘ objectionable matter’, no permission to report parliament, close down Press Council , blaming it was failed to curb provocative writings - During 19 months of emergency 253 journalists detained and 7 foreign correspondence expelled - When Janata Dal came into power, all the restrictions over press were removed - After emergency Indian press became more professional along with high tech., simultaneous publications increased, tremendous change in the contents, more supplements, booming of specialized magazines - Press Council re- established under new act- 28 member, chaired by retired judge of high court

According to UNESCO -Top circulation – The Times of India – approx. 18 lakh copies / day The Indian Express – approx. 15 lakh copies / day Total no. of all publications – approx. 40 thousand Out of them dailies- 4,453 (including 320 English dailies) CENTENARIAN NEWSPAPERS OF INDIA The Times of India – 1861 Amrit Bazar Patrika – 1868 Pioneer - 1872 The Statesman - 1875 The Hindu - 1878 RADIO - Amateur Radio Club started local broadcasting in 1924 at Madras - Indian Broadcasting co.(private) 1927- Bombay and Calcutta - Indian State Broadcasting Service – 1930 - Name changed as All India Radio (AIR) / Aakashbani - Before independence AIR stations in Hyderabad, Baroda, Mysore, Trivandrum, Aurangabad, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lukhnow, Pesawar and Dhaka - During second World War radio became more popular in India - After independence AIR was a major tool to dissiminate govt. information - AIR as an ‘ electronic ambassador’ in abroad - Now AIR have more than 200 stations covering 90% of the land and 97% of the population - News in 24 languages including Hindi, English and many other languages of India - From 1997 broadcasting is beeing regulated by an autonomous corporation under Prasar Bharati Act - 12 radio sets / 100 people

TELEVISION - DoorDarshan (DD) started as an experiment in 1959 from New Delhi, for educational purpose - Regular broadcasting started from 1965 from New Delhi - Indian Space Research Organization borrowed a satellite from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1975 - Community TV sets in 2,400 villages - Colour broadcasting from 1982 on the eve of Asian Games held in New Delhi - 40 different broadcasting centers - covers 70% of land and 87% 0f population - programs in about a dozen languages - 6.5 tv sets / 100 people - after 1995 many private channels - all TV broadcasting regulated by Prasar Bharati Act

NEWS AGENCY - Press Trust of India (PTI) 1947 - Hindustan Samachar 1948 - United News of India (UNI)- 1961 - Samachar Bharati –1965 Hindustan Samachar and Samachar Bharati produce news in various Indian languages while PTI and UNI in English - Press Information Bureau (PBI), under Ministry of Information, provides government news and information in English, Hindi, Urdu and 13 regional languages.