Today is World Television Day. This day celebrates television as an important
way to share information, educate people, shape public opinion, and help people
around the world understand each other. It is observed every year on November 21,
as declared by the United Nations in 1996.
In India, television reaches 90 crore viewers in 23 crore homes. As of March this
year, there are 918 private satellite TV channels, showing how large and active
the TV industry is.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with Prasar Bharati, leads
the celebrations. Doordarshan and All India Radio organize events to highlight
the important role of television in public service, sharing development messages,
and promoting national unity.
Television broadcasting in India began as an experiment on September 15, 1959,
started by All India Radio. Regular broadcasts began in 1965, which led to the
creation of Doordarshan as India’s national TV service.
India’s Media and Entertainment industry contributed 2.5 trillion rupees to the
economy in 2024 and is expected to grow to over 3 trillion rupees by 2027.