Major U.S.-India broadcast tie-up

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U.S.-based ITV Gold partners with Doordarshan to expand global awareness about India’s culture and growth trajectory

India’s public service broadcaster Doordarshan (DD), a part of Prasar Bharati, has chosen U.S.- based ITV Gold (International Television Broadcasting LLC) in its bid to go global and engage international audiences across continents and to create a global voice for India.

In a significant breakthrough, an Agreement was signed and exchanged Jan. 25, 2021 between the two entities.

ITV Gold has a presence in North America, South America and the Caribbean (namely, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Jamaica, Barbados and French Guiana) for distribution and launch of DD India in these territories starting January 26, 2021.

DD India, the global news and current affairs channel of Doordarshan, will provide an Indian perspective on global events leveraging its network of bureaus and correspondents in India and all over the world.

Television audiences in the Americas will now have the opportunity to see and experience the emergence of a new self-reliant India through the DD India, the press release said. In addition, the Indian diaspora in the Americas will also have a window into the latest news and events in India.

“Dissemination of the Indian view on world affairs among Asian diaspora and Caribbean communities has been minimal,” Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of ITV Gold and Parikh Worldwide Media, is quoted saying in the press release. “With our plans to distribute DD India thru ITV Gold in whole of USA and parts of Caribbean, this gap will be filled,” Dr. Parikh added.

“DD India will be immediately available in the Tristate area ( NY, NJ and Connecticut). We are also available in parts of California, Texas and the Midwest,” he said.
Additional Director General of Prasar Bharati, Sunil said “We were always keen to expand DD India in all geographies around the world. USA is among the initial steps and the Indian diplomatic presence in whole of North America could help ramp up the viewership. Visiting Indian dignitaries would be happy to see DD India. We wish to see DD grow with this MOU.”

Dr. Parikh went on to say, “I strongly believe that we must inform the Indian-Americans and South Asian-Americans about the growth trajectory of India toward becoming the 3rd largest economy in the world.”
“And we must raise awareness about that growth in the Western world. In addition, this new partnership will connect the 2nd generation to their ancestral homeland and promote further strengthening of U.S.-India relations,” Dr. Parikh said.

Chief India Correspondent of ITV Gold, C Anand Velayudhan said “Epistemic trespassing by individuals on social media had left Indian origin people in a quandary. We have now overcome that dilemma by bringing DD to USA”