Television

The story of television in India is a story of explosive change. In 1991, there was just one state-controlled channel: Doordarshan. By 1998, there were almost 70 channels. The real explosion came from the private sector. While Doordarshan itself expanded to broadcast over 35 channels, by 2020 there were about 900 private television networks broadcasting in India. This staggering growth of private satellite television is one of the defining developments of contemporary India.

The numbers show the scale of this transformation. In 2002, 134 million individuals watched satellite TV on an average every week. That number rose to 190 million in 2005. The number of homes with access to satellite TV jumped from 40 million in 2002 to 61 million in 2005. Satellite subscription has now penetrated 56 percent of all TV homes.

The arrival of private satellite channels

Two events in 1991 signalled the arrival of private satellite channels in India. The Gulf War of 1991 popularised CNN, and in the same year, the Whampoa Hutchinson Group of Hong Kong launched Star-TV. In 1992, Zee TV, a Hindi-based satellite entertainment channel, began beaming programmes to cable television viewers in India. By 2000, 40 private cable and satellite channels were available, including several that focused exclusively on regional-language broadcasting — Sun-TV, Eenadu-TV, Udaya-TV, Raj-TV, and Asianet. Zee TV itself launched several regional networks, broadcasting in Marathi, Bengali, and other languages.

The rise of cable television

While Doordarshan was expanding rapidly in the 1980s, the cable television industry was mushrooming in major Indian cities. The VCR greatly multiplied entertainment options for Indian audiences, providing alternatives to Doordarshan’s single channel programming. Video viewing at home and in community-based parlours increased rapidly. The video fare consisted mostly of film-based entertainment, both domestic and imported.

By 1984, entrepreneurs in cities such as Mumbai and Ahmedabad had begun wiring apartment buildings to transmit several films a day. The number of cable operators exploded from 100 in 1984, to 1,200 in 1988, to 15,000 in 1992, and to about 60,000 in 1999.

Localisation: the key strategy of transnational channels

The coming of transnational television companies like Star TV, MTV, Channel [V], Sony, and others made some people worry about the likely impact on Indian youth and on Indian cultural identity. But most of these transnational channels realised through research that using the familiar is more effective in reaching the diverse groups that constitute the Indian audience.

The early strategy of Sony International was to broadcast 10 Hindi films a week, gradually decreasing the number as the station produced its own Hindi language content. The majority of the foreign networks have now introduced either a segment of Hindi language programming (MTV India), or an entire new Hindi language channel (STAR Plus). STAR Sports and ESPN have dual commentary or an audio soundtrack in Hindi. The larger players have launched specific regional channels in languages such as Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, and Gujarati.

Perhaps the most dramatic adoption of localisation was carried out by STAR TV. In October 1996, STAR Plus — initially an all-English general entertainment channel originating from Hong Kong — began producing a Hindi language belt of programming between 7 and 9 PM. By February 1999, the channel was converted to a solely Hindi channel, and all English serials were shifted to STAR World, the network’s English language international channel. Advertising to promote the change included the Hinglish slogan: ‘Aapki Boli. Aapka Plus Point’ (Your language/speech. Your Plus Point). Both STAR and Sony continued to dub US programming for younger audiences, as children appeared to be able to adjust to the peculiarities that arise when the language is one and the setting another.

Television today: 24×7, lively, and intimate

Most television channels are on throughout the day, 24×7. The format for news is lively and informal. News has been made far more immediate, democratic, and intimate. Television has fostered public debate and is expanding its reach every passing year. This brings us to the question whether serious political and economic issues are neglected.

There is a growing number of news channels in Hindi and English, a large number of regional channels, and an equally large number of reality shows, talk shows, Bollywood shows, family soaps, interactive shows, game shows, and comedy shows. Entertainment television has produced a new cadre of superstars who have become familiar household names, and their private lives and rivalries on set feed the gossip columns of popular magazines and newspapers. Reality shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indian Idol, or Bigg Boss have become increasingly popular. Most of these are modelled along the lines of western programmes.

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