A new book uses anecdotes to chart the historical rise of Doordarshan as a force in Indian TV news

The transition from black-and-white to colour on Doordarshan marked a pivotal moment in Indian broadcasting, coinciding with the channel’s shift to national telecasts. While early telecasts were primarily local and in black-and-white, the move to national programming demanded greater visual appeal and clarity, which colour television provided. The gradual visual change came to symbolise the evolution of Indian television – from modest regional beginnings to a vibrant, unified national presence that reached homes across the country.

Dr Govind Gunthey, who was DD’s news editor at the time, reflects on the time Doordarshan decided to start national broadcast:

The launch of national broadcasts in 1982 marked a major milestone in Doordarshan’s growth and outreach. Under this, all Doordarshan centres of the country would connect with Delhi TV kendra at eight every night. The broadcast would begin with a Hindi news bulletin of half an hour. Later, at 9 pm, an English news bulletin for half an hour would be telecast. Since both the news bulletins fell under national broadcast, special attention was paid to prepare them. The presentation of these was different from all other bulletins.

Each news broadcast featured two newsreaders. Both the English and Hindi segments concluded with a two-minute weather report. In addition to...

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