The Committee has questioned how a “truncated Board” could discharge its responsibilities effectively in meeting the “emerging challenges being faced by the Prasar Bharti”, and scathingly added that it is hardly surprising in such a situation that the organisation's performance has remained “lacklustre” since its formation. The committee has “deplored” the “callous” attitude of the Ministry and recommended prompt measures to fill up the vacant positions. The Ministry on its part has said it has received some recommendations from MPs for filling up positions of part-time members and these are being sent to the Vice-President’s Committee for the Selection Committee’s consideration.

On the Ministry’s revenue generation proposal—to levy a licence fee on all television sets as a one-time lump-sum while buying by the customer—the Committee has struck a cautionary note, asking the Ministry to go for wider consultations with stakeholders and detailed examination before taking a decision. The House Committee has also said that other options should also be explored for funding of Prasar Bharti.

Outlining the need at AIR and Doordarshan to improve programme quality, the House Committee said they should assign the job of monitoring programme content and production to more professionally qualified personnel besides strengthening their marketing set-up.

While it has emphatically called for Prasar Bharti to fulfil the role of a public broadcaster, it also said there is a need for the Board to become financially self-reliant in the coming years. It has also said that AIR should be converted into a competitive network with complete digitalisation and freedom to run purely commercial FM channels if it so wishes.

Prasar Bharti is saddled with a cumulative deficit of Rs 5540.22 crore and is, on the other hand, desperately in need of substantial funds to upgrade its technology and keep pace with the highly competitive broadcasting sector.

The Committee noted that the proposed Capital Restructuring Plan for Prasar Bharti merits serious consideration of the Government and all attempts towards revenue generation need to be studied.