Question : SURVEY ON DOORDARSHAN PROGRAMMES

(a): whether the Government/Prasar Bharati periodically conducts surveys to assess the performance of the various channels of Doordarshan and the viewership of the programmes telecast in the country and the Middles East;

(b): if so, the details thereof and the number of such surveys conducted and the cost incurred thereon during each of the last three years and the current year along with the follow-up action taken on the findings of such surveys;

(c): whether a fresh survey has been commissioned in this regard while the report of a previous survey had remained unconsidered; and

(d): if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING (SHRI MANISH TEWARI)

(a)&(b): Prasar Bharati has informed that a survey was conducted on Reach and Impact of DD India in 2006-07 in seven countries of Middle East i.e. Bahrain, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Qatar & Saudi Arabia. Prasad Bharati has also informed that keeping in view the Recommendations of 67th Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology (2008-09) on “Television Audience Measurement in India”, Audience Research Unit (ARU) of Doordarshan conducts weekly Doordarshan Audience Research Television Ratings (DART) in rural areas of the country. In addition to that, surveys to assess the performance of various channels of Doordarshan and viewership of the programmes have also been conducted. The details of the surveys conducted by Doordarshan during the last three years (i.e., 2010-11 to 2012-13) with details of cost incurred thereon are at Annexure.

(c) & (d): Prasar Bharati has informed that no fresh survey has been conducted for Middle East. However, findings of the surveys conducted by the ARU of Doordarshan are taken into account to improve the overall quality of programmes.