Doordarshan has expanded its footprint with the launch of six new channels and the upgrade of 17 existing ones since 2019. According to a press release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), a total of 264 community radio stations have been commissioned across India since 2019, while financial assistance has been extended to 26 stations since 2020-21. In 2019, DD Free Dish (Free-to-Air Direct-To-Home) carried just 104 channels. Today, it has grown significantly, delivering 510 channels. The current lineup includes 92 private channels, 50 Doordarshan channels, and 320 educational channels. Additionally, 48 Akashvani radio channels, including FM Gold, Rainbow, and Vividh Bharati, are available on the platform. A government-commissioned impact assessment of Community Radio Stations in 2017 highlighted how they foster community engagement, promote local culture and disseminate information in rural and remote areas. Further, an impact assessment study conducted in 20

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which has been incorporating technology for seamless day-to-day operations, was recently lauded by the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology for its efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the broadcasting sector.  According to adgully, the committee specifically appreciated the introduction of two AI news anchors, AI Krish and AI Bhoomi, by DD Kisan on May 26, 2024. It also acknowledged the ministry's "Samvad" dashboard, which provides real-time information, as well as the use of AI-powered translation tools on DD’s web portals and social media platforms.  According to the report, these AI anchors can speak in 50 languages and deliver news round the clock. They cover a wide range of topics including agricultural research, market trends, weather, and government schemes.  The committee further recommended that the ministry explore additional areas for AI integration to enhance its operation

Image source: SCO, One India and The Hindu; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   When can a governor kill a bill—and should they ever have that power? The Supreme Court is now being asked to draw the line, in a case that could redefine the balance between elected assemblies and unelected appointees. Hot off the Press Dhananjay Mahapatra for The Times of India reported that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta spent hours before a five-judge Constitution Bench explaining the governor’s powers under Article 200. According to the Centre, if a governor chooses to withhold assent to a state bill, the legislation “falls through” entirely. Mehta argued that this sweeping authority, backed by earlier Supreme Court rulings, is one of the few areas where governors act independently, without the advice of state cabinets. Krishnadas Rajagopal for The Hindu highlighted the bench’s discomfort with this position. Chief Justice B.R. Gavai pressed Mehta on whether elected state governments would then

The SBS Board of Directors has today confirmed it’s appointed Jane Palfreyman, (pictured) SBS Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, as the broadcaster’s Acting Managing Director, while it carries out a global search for a new Managing Director. The move follows the decision of James Taylor to step down from SBS after 13 years of service. He will remain with the organisation until November for a transition period, before taking up the role of Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at oOh!media. SBS Board Acting Chair, Christine Zeitz, said the interim appointment provides continuity of leadership and ensures an orderly transition until the next Managing Director is appointed. Palfreyman joined SBS in 2012 and has held senior positions across Sales and Marketing. In her current role, she leads SBS’s commercial strategy, brand and audience engagement, client partnerships and revenue growth. She brings more than two decades of experience in media and commercial leadersh

ABC managing director Hugh Marks (pictured) has said new public comment guidelines - mostly around social media - sent to staff yesterday were not directly linked to the Antoinette Latouff unlawful termination case, but did reflect a need to update how staff can communicate online so their remarks don’t reflect badly on the national broadcaster. Marks spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, where he was asked about the origin of the new guidelines and if they were a direct response to the Latouff episode: “I think it’s not directly related to that particular case. I think when I started, there had already been some discussion around whether social media guidelines were going to continue to be appropriate or whether, I guess, a recognition that it’s not just social media where comments by some of our people can potentially reflect in an adverse way upon the reputation of the ABC and that we needed something that captured that much broader environment.” The Sydney Morning Hera

  Nick Papps farewelled by Genevieve Brammall.   Nick Papps, one of News Corp’s senior Australian editors, has been tapped as editor-in-chief of News Corp’s The California Post newspaper which will launch in 2026 and be modelled on the successful New York Post.  Papps was farewelled this week by staff at the Melbourne-based publication, including Genevieve Brammall, News Corp Australia’s National Head of PR and Talent Relations, who started out on the Herald Sun with Papps back in 1999, when the young journos both worked in the newsroom and learned the craft.  “Today we said an excited farewell to long-time colleague and editor Nick Papps as he prepares to board the plane to oversee what is arguably the most ambitious modern media experiment of our time: the launch of a newspaper in 2026!,” said Brammall.  “I can’t wait to see what Nick and his fledgling team can achieve,” she added.  “We first met sitting almost back to back in the Herald Sun newsroom.

NDIS creep addressed In what “seems to be the Albanese government’s first significant gesture towards budget repair”, Phillip Coorey and Ian Michael Smith write in The Australian Financial Review that the government will cut the growth rate of the NDIS and revamp support for children with mild autism and other developmental conditions. The scheme has been found to be bloated and unsustainable even at the 8% growth rate target set two years ago. Health Minister Mark Butler said spending must be trimmed by billions more if the NDIS is to remain focused on the permanently and significantly disabled. The Daily Telegraph and Courier Mail went with emotive splashes – “Thousands of autistic kids to be blocked from NDIS to stop blowout” and “Autistic kids kicked off NDIS” – though Julie Cross was quick to clarify it was children with mild to moderate autism who may be diverted to community programs. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, via Natassia