However, the fact remains that the quality of DD programming has gone down substantially during the last decade. This is because an unhealthy competition existed among successive Prasar Bharti director generals to earn more money than their predecessors. They found an easy way out in increasing the telecast fees, instead of making any sincere efforts to boost the revenues. After a point, producers also got fed up due to the lack of financial viability of these projects. They either compromised the quality of programming or chose to walk away.

Now, thanks to the new CEO of Prasar Bharti, B.S. Lalli, an entire generation of old policies are being reversed in an effort to restore DD to its old glory days.

Everyone was surprised when DD invited for the first time, people from different channels to appear live on TV and express their candid views on its 48th anniversary celebrations. This openness was something entirely unheard of in the older days of DD.

The writer is a Congress MP in Rajya Sabha