Why Doordarshan Failed: 6 Surprising Reasons and Smart Solutions

There was a time when Doordarshan ruled all over India with its epic programs like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Chitrahaar, Krishi Darshan, etc.  It was enjoying its monopoly for several decades until Cable TV arrived! The question still remains- Why Doordarshan failed?

Although Doordarshan offered a wide variety of shows for every audience category like education, news, sports, and daily soaps.

Not just that, it consists of numerous channels including-

• DD National: A pan-India channel
• DD News: A pan-India channel
• DD Sports: A sports channel
• DD Bharat: A cultural and informative channel
• DD Urdu: A cultural and informative channel
• DD Kisan: Focusses on agriculture and related topics
• DD India: An International channel
• 16 Regional channels: A variety of regional language channels
• 12 State Networks: It includes DD Arunprabha (for Arunprabha) and DD Yadagiri (Telugu Channel for Telangana)

Despite offering such variety why did Doordarshan flopped? You may wonder. Go through this article and you’ll find out!

(A) Reasons: Why Doordarshan Failed?

Failure is caused when you’re unable to solve the problem you’re facing. What are the problems with Doordarshan? You may ask. Well, here are the six key reasons for why Doordarshan failed-

1. Lack of Financial Autonomy and Adequate Funding

So, the first thing that holds government services lag is the lack of autonomy be it financial or rational. You can say that financial autonomy and adequate funding played a crucial role in the functioning of Doordarshan. How? You may wonder.

See, despite being an autonomous body, Doordarshan relies heavily on government grants and subsidies. This accounted for 61% of its revenue in FY 2018-19. 

Here are the net revenues earned by All India Radio, Doordarshan, and Total Prasar Bharati-

If you compare it to public broadcasters in other countries like the BBC; it generates a significant portion of its revenue through license fees. This allows BBC to maintain financial independence and invest in quality content production.

Doordarshan receives the government’s money. Right?

So where does all this money go? You may wonder. 

The Sam Pitroda Committee report in 2014 highlighted that Doordarshan spends only 9% of its budget on programming.

Wait, what? Just this little… Yup! The rest 79% goes into the engineering and administration processes. This imbalance in spending priorities has led to a stagnation in content quality and innovation.

2. Unable to Compete with Private Channels

As told in the introductory para, Doordarshan was going through a purple patch until the private channel rang its bell in the 1990s. The entry of private television channels marked a turning point for Doordarshan. You must have seen how channels like Star Plus, ZeeTV, Star Sports, etc. offered a variety of engaging and relevant programs. They appeared to contemporary audiences.

Contrarily, Doordarshan’s content was often criticized as outdated and not resonating with modern viewers. Do you also think the same? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Apart from winning the hearts of audiences, private channels have also been more successful in attracting advertising revenue. This further widened the gap between them and Doordarshan in terms of resources for content production.

3. Lack of Administrative Autonomy and Human Resource Issues

Doordarshan is often referred to as the mouthpiece of the Indian government. So, it continues to face bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of administrative autonomy.

What’s more shocking is many senior positions are filled by individuals from non-programming backgrounds.  Hence, it leads to a disconnect between management and content creation.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg! Doordarshan also suffers from a severe shortage of qualified personnel in programming roles. Over 98% of positions in the Indian Broadcasting (Programme) Service are vacant. This has led to a reliance on the deputation of officers from other services, who often lack the necessary skills and experience in content generation and programming.

4. Failure to Adapt to Digital Trends

The OTT platforms and social media platforms have given tough competition to both private and public channels. In other words, the rise of digital media and streaming platforms has further marginalized traditional broadcasters like Doordarshan. The organization has struggled to adapt to these changes, missing opportunities to engage with younger audiences who prefer on-demand content.

Colors has Voot, Star Plus has HotStar, and ZeeTV has Zee5. Can’t Doordarshan launch something similar? You may ask.

Well, Doordarshan has launched a few initiatives too like DD Free Dish, a free DTH service offering 59 free-to-air channels. However, it has yet to fully capitalize on the potential of digital platforms to reach new audiences and generate revenue.

5. Lack of Relevant and Quality Content

Doordarshan is famous for presenting unbiased news. Maybe that’s why it sounds boring to the majority of Indians who prefer drama and entertainment through the news! Despite having public trust, particularly in news broadcasting, Doordarshan’s programming has often been criticized for lacking relevance and quality. 

This inability to produce content that reflects current societal issues and interests has diminished its appeal. Especially among urban audiences.

The Sam Pitroda Committee report in 2014 noted that Doordarshan’s programming is hopelessly outdated, forcing even dedicated viewers in rural areas to migrate to cable TV or free DTH services offered by private players. 

This report also highlighted that less than 15% of Prasar Bharati’s expenditure is allocated to content, compared to 60-70% for global public service broadcasters. This disparity has resulted in outdated programming that fails to attract viewers

6. Public Perception and Lack of Credibility

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when hearing the term “Doordarshan”? It must be like mediocrity and old-fashioned. Right? It shows that the public’s expectation of high-quality, engaging content has not been met. This also leads to a decline in viewership and credibility.

To regain its relevance and fulfill its mandate as a public broadcaster, Doordarshan needs to undergo significant reforms in funding, management, and content strategy.

(B) Potential Solutions: Future of Doordarshan

Doordarshan, India’s public service broadcaster is shaped by both challenges and opportunities. And that too in the rapidly evolving media landscape. 

Let’s discuss what kind of potential Doordharshan holds based on the recent developments-

1. Digital Transformation

Although, we say that Doordarshan failed to meet the audience’s expectations we can’t deny its efforts either. For instance, Doordarshan launched its official YouTube channel to share content and engage younger audiences.

This move has allowed Doordarshan to reach a broader demographic, particularly those who prefer on-demand content. We watch the Republic Day parade on Doordarshan’s YouTube channel. This shows that the public’s trust in Doordarshan hasn’t ended yet.

The broadcaster has also ventured into mobile applications and social media to enhance audience interaction and retention.

2. Content Strategy

This is the most important aspect to improve the future. To remain relevant, Doordarshan is focusing on improving its content quality and variety. The organization has introduced two main stuff to cater to diverse audiences-

• Regional language news bulletins
• 24-hour news channels

Additionally, it has leveraged its historical programming by re-airing popular shows from the 1980s and 1990s. Do you remember how the re-airing of Ramayan and Mahabharat garnered high TRP ratings during the COVID-19 pandemic?

It demonstrates the potential of nostalgia-driven programming! So yes, it can brainstorm to produce new type of content to win the heart of the audience.

3. Global Outreach and Soft power

Doordarshan has the potential to play a significant role in enhancing India’s soft power on the global stage. How? You may wonder.

By expanding its online presence and collaborating with international streaming platforms, it can reach the Indian diaspora and global audiences interested in Indian culture and entertainment. This strategy could help position Doordarshan as a credible voice in the international media landscape, countering the dominance of Western media outlets

4. Some other Solutions

• To enhance its financial sustainability, Doordarshan may need to explore alternative revenue models, such as subscription services and advertising. Balancing its public service mandate with economic viability will be crucial for its future.
• Addressing the staffing issues and ensuring that key positions are filled by individuals with a strong background in media and programming will be essential for revitalizing the organization.

In simple words, to regain its footing, Doordarshan would need to undergo significant reforms in management, funding, and content strategy.

Only time will tell whether Doordarshan will be able to regain its lost glory or not… By the way, what do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks for reading 🙂