DD messes up flag hoisting

Millions watching Doordarshan’s live telecast of the Independence Day celebration at Red Fort missed the flag hoisting by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Millions watching Doordarshan’s live telecast of the Independence Day celebration at Red Fort missed the flag hoisting by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

HT Image

The faux pas occurred as the live telecast was busy recapitulating the PM’s visit to Raj Ghat and Shanti Van. By the time it went back to Red Fort the flag hoisting was over and the national anthem had begun. With most private channels taking feed from Doordarshan for the I-Day telecast, their viewers too missed out.

A disappointed viewer has shot off an email to Singh saying she feels “let down” by this act, as the hoisting of the flag at Red Fort by the Prime Minister is “a moment of personal pride”.

“As the PM stated in his speech to improve and strengthen the service delivery and systems within the government, we could begin with the media and Doordarshan in particular,” she wrote.

Deputy director-general of Doordarshan Ashok Jaikhani told HT that the “mishap” occurred because “we missed a minute” to come back to the live programme at Red Fort from the pre-recorded programme of Rajghat and Shanti Van.

With the PM figuring in both places, it was a situation of “devil and the deep sea” and shots of the PM visit to Rajghat and Shantivan could not be cut midway, he added.

In the repeat telecast at 11.15 am, he said, the flag hoisting portion was incorporated from the recordings made.