Brief History
Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram has completed 25 years of service to the nation on 1st January 2010. The Kendra had its origin from the communication revolution initiated by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minster of India on the eve of the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Television was first introduced in the state with the commissioning of a low power transmitter (LPT) on 19th November 1982 in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, for providing the visuals of the Asian Games. On 1st January 1985, regional television became a reality with the commissioning of a full-fledged Programme Production Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Shri K. Karunakaran then Chief Minister of the State of Kerala, in the presence of Shri HKL Bhagat then Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, inaugurated the newly constructed Doordarshan Kendra buildings and the Programme Production Center in a grand function held at the Kanakakkunnu Palace on 1st January 1985.
The first 10 KW High Power Transmitter in Kerala, set up in the Doordarshan compound in Thiruvananthapuram was commissioned on 14th April 1985 and the full fledged studio complex on 18th March 1987. Along with augmenting technical facilities, recruitment of technical and programme personnel and their training was taken up on a war footing. Some of the technical programme and administrative personnel were transferred and posted to the Kendra from various offices of All India Radio and other existing Doordarshan facilities. At present there are altogether 382 Sanctioned Posts in Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram. The lists do not include news anchors and programme announcers engaged on contract basis. Much of the work connected with newsgathering is currently outsourced.
In the beginning Malayalam programmes originated from Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram were available only in and around Thiruvananthapuram city. With the commissioning of the High power Transmitters in Thiruvananthapuram and later in Kochi almost all prospective TV viewers from erstwhile Travancore and Cochin regions of the State became capable to receive TV signals originating from Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram. With the commissioning of regional networking on 24th October 1993 and with the commissioning of HPTs at Calicut and Kannur the whole of the State became capable to receive Malayalam TV signals from Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram. Thus the long cherished goal of covering the whole of Kerala with Doordarshan Malayalam Programmes became a reality.
The dream of Malayalis staying outside the State to receive Malayalam TV Programmes became a reality with the commissioning of Malayalam Regional Language Satellite Channel on 15th August 1994.Later this facility was extended to International viewers across continents. Now DD Malayalam programmes are available in 68 countries across the globe. Introduction of DD Metro channel was another landmark achievement for the people of the State. The TV scenario in Kerala underwent a drastic change for the better with the introduction of daily Malayalam feature films in the DD Metro Channel, but later the channel was converted to the present DD News Channel taking into consideration the demand for a 24-hour television News Channel.
1st January 2000 was another red letter day in the media history of the state - on the 15th anniversary day of the of the inauguration of Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram, 24 hour DD Malayalam Satellite Channel became operational fulfilling the long cherished need of the people residing within and outside the state. The introduction of the 24 hour Malayalam satellite channel enabled the Kendra to introduce a programme mix giving more prominence for entertainment keeping the slots allotted for education and information intact. The potential of TV as a medium of information and education rather than entertainment was progressively realized and led to the introduction of innovative live programmes catering to the information and education needs of the people of the State. Programmes like Veettuvishesham, Krishidarshan and Koottukari have created a niche group of dedicated and loyal TV viewers for Doordarshan in the State. The clamour for more entertainment programmes led to the introduction of daily serials popularly known as mega- serials. Popular mega serials created avenues for private public participation in the media realm in the state. It also facilitated introduction of new talent which became handy in the rapid growth of the media industry in the state.
Commissioning of the Programme Generation Facility (PGF) at the cultural capital of Kerala, Trissur on 6th September 2001 was another landmark event in the history of Doordarshan in the State. Another Programme Generation Facility was commissioned on public demand at Kozhikode during 2007 considerably enhancing TV production capabilities and ensuring regional participation from the Malabar Region of the State. Digital Transmission of the DD Malayalam Channel introduced on 27th January 2004, has considerably enhanced quality of television transmission and viewing in the state.
The introduction of Narrow casting from Palghat, Malapuram & Manjeri and later from Punalur, Shornur, Trissur, Kalpatta and Idukki was a significant achievement in the communication history of the State. Realizing the importance of media intervention for development in general and for the farm sector in particular, the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, has started funding Krishidarshan and Narrowcast programmes from 2005 in a big way with the vision of rejuvenating and revitalizing the farming sector in the country. The Kendra was able to translate the vision and mission of the Ministry to make agriculture self sustaining by enabling the farming sector to adopt better farming practices and methods in the state.
Malayalam News (Varthakal) from its inception in 1985 has become an addiction for Malayalee viewers for its style of presentation and clarity in content. The Kendra’s efforts to improve news content and quality in presentation received a big boost with the inauguration of the first fully automated Regional News Unit (RNU) at Thiruvananthapuram on 6th September 2009.The fully automated system facilitates faster file transfer, visual editing and creation of graphics. Till then the Kendra was using conventional methods for transport of videos and news clippings which was cumbersome and time consuming. With the introduction of full automation, the Regional News Unit was able to increase the number of daily Malayalam News bulletins from three to six.
The liberalization of the skies in the last two decades has led to a proliferation of Malayalam Cable and Satellite TV Channels in the State. At present there are over 25 Malayalam Cable and Satellite TV Channels operating from the State. Media houses, political parties as well as social and religious groups own and operate TV channels in the state. In the changed media scenario, channel positioning has become very important for Doordarshan. Over the years from a position of monopoly Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram and its DD Malayalam Channel has moved into a situation of fierce competition where eye balls matter the most.
As the Kendra celebrates its Silver Jubilee, it is heartening to note that even in a highly competitive environment Doordarshan Kendra Thiruvananthapuram has not lost its relevance and has dedicated viewers for most of its programmes. It has progressively realized that public service broadcasting is the realm where the Kendra has a comparative advantage and the Kendra needs to focus to reap the benefits of this advantage to leverage viewer satisfaction and future growth.
