After a humble beginning in 1959 from a makeshift studio in Akashwani Bhavan in New Delhi, Doordarshan has come a long way in the last 50 years with the public broadcaster now catering to viewers across the country through 26 channels.

But people closely associated with it feel that DD, which had its golden period in the 80s, has failed to keep pace with private channels that have emerged since the early 90s.

The public broadcaster, which has just completed 50 years of existence, switched over to colour transmission during Asiad '82 and is currently preparing to telecast 2010 Commonwealth Games on hi-definition format.

Recalling the association with DD, its first director general Shiv Sharma said Doordarshan began with 35 employees, who now number 25,000. In 1975, satellite transmission was started to reach the remotest corners.

He, however, lamented that DD has not been able to keep pace with private channels since late 1990s. Shammi Narang, a well known news reader, too said DD should make its content more contemporary.

He said, "DD never compromised on its content. The best thing about it is that it is an infotainment medium which gives equal focus to news and entertainment as well as to classical art forms".

Bhaskar Ghose described his tenure as the head of DD as the most "exciting time of his career."

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni urged noted film makers Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shyam Benegal to suggest ways to make DD more vibrant and interesting while retaining its commitment to healthy entertainment suitable for family viewing.

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