IT’S NOT going to be AXN, but close enough. Lok Sabha will have its own channel soon, on air 24x7. Think of all the exciting debates, points of order and ponderous speeches that it will bring.
On view will be how some MPs bunk serious debates. Think of the MPs trooping into the Well of the House. And how they force adjournments at considerable costs to the exchequer.
That’s precisely the reason behind this unprecedented move: show the people what MPs are doing with their money, their
votes and their trust.
Preparations for the Rs 13 crore-a-year project are in an advanced stage. "The first signs of the channel taking shape will be visible in April, during the second half of the budget session," sources told HT. The LS secretariat has already booked space on ISRO's INSAT-4A satellite.
And Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has had two meetings with the big cable operators, who will be relaying the channel on a “non-prime band” under the Cable TV Network Regulation Act.
The channel also has a business model: commitments from individual ministers for advertisements by PSUs. The blueprint, Chatterjee's idea, was prepared by former I&B secretary Bhaskar Ghose. It is likely to cost Rs 20 crore, of which Rs 7 crore will be one-time expense. The yearly budget would cover salary bills of 60 employees and uplinking costs, telecast and in-house productions.
{{/usCountry}}The channel also has a business model: commitments from individual ministers for advertisements by PSUs. The blueprint, Chatterjee's idea, was prepared by former I&B secretary Bhaskar Ghose. It is likely to cost Rs 20 crore, of which Rs 7 crore will be one-time expense. The yearly budget would cover salary bills of 60 employees and uplinking costs, telecast and in-house productions.
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