The board also announced that the national broadcaster Doordarshan would become a digital 24-hour channel from August 15. Also in the offing is a trial launch of a new current affairs and news channel.

In effort to deliver a fair and balance political coverage in news and current affairs programmes, the Prasar Bharti Board has recently passed a resolution asking political parties to desist from interacting with news officials of Doordarshan and AIR.

Expressing concern over reported instances of political interference, the board also announced the setting up of an internal panel to monitor news coverage. A senior Doordarshan official has been designated to receive any complaints from members of the public or political parties with regard to news bulletinsor election coverage, said Prasar Bharati Board member UR Rao.Earlier, announcing the long-expected revamp in Doordarshan's programming package, Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Rajeeva Ratna Shah said that by going digital with round the clock programming, the national broadcaster would improve its visibility in cable and satellite homes. The move is also expected to pep up Doordarshan's advertisement revenue, he said.

Shah alleged that market manipulation by competition had ensured that Doordarshan was not visible in many cable and satellite homes.

Reiterating the need for a level playing field for Doordarshan in view of its role as a public service broadcaster, Shah said that cable operators are obliged under the Cable Network Regulation Act to carry at least two Doordarshan channels in the prime band. He suggested that multi-service operators should take the lead in this respect.

The board might be forced to consider legal recourse in case cable operators fail to fulfill the obligation, saidShah.

On the programming front, the national broadcaster would continue to fulfill its obligations as public service broadcaster, said Shah. The board plans to launch a separate public service channel in a year's time, he said. It may be made obligatory on part of private channels to carry public service message.

The board has planned a soft launch for Doordarshan's news and current affairs channel. Doordarshan's international and sports channels would now be available only as a digital satellite channel after August 15.

Another board member BG Vergese reiterated the need for keeping the Prasar Bharati Board an autonomous organisation. He suggested filling up all the positions in the board for its effective functioning.