PRESS & MEDIA

Press and  Media

Registrar of Newspapers for India The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) came into existence on 1 July 1956, on the recommendation of the First Press Commission in 1953 and by amending the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. The Registrar of Newspapers for India commonly known, as, Press Registrar is required, inter alia to submit an Annual Report to the Government of the status of newspapers before 31 December every year. According to the report submitted by the Press Registrar for the year 2003-04, the total number of registered newspapers/ periodicals was 58,469 as on 31 March, 2004. There were 6,287 dailies, 361 tri/bi-weeklies, 20,329 weeklies, 7,694 fortnightly, 17,124 monthlies, 4101 quarterlies, 541 annuals and 2,032 of other periodicity. Newspapers were registered in English, 22 principal languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and 9 languages and dialects listed under other languages. Delhi had the distinction of publishing newspapers, etc., in 11 principal languages. Maharashtra came next with publications in 10 out of 18 principal languages followed by Kerala and Karnataka (9-9) and West Bengal (7). The number of newspapers reported published (submitted Annual Statement) was 5,591. The total circulation of newspapers was 13,30,87,588. The largest number of newspapers and periodicals registered in any Indian language is in Hindi (23,169). The second largest number of newspapers and periodicals registered in any language is in English (8,492). The state with the largest number of registered newspapers is Uttar Pradesh (9,492). The state with the second largest number of registered newspapers is Delhi (7,872). Press Information Bureau The Press Information Bureau (PIB) is the nodal agency of the Central Government to disseminate information to the print and electronic media on government policies, programme initiatives and achievements. The Bureau disseminates information through Press Releases, Press Notes, Feature Articles, Backgrounders, Press Briefings Photographs, Press Conference, Interviews, Database available on Bureau's website, Press tours, etc. NEWS AGENCIES Press Trust of India India's largest news agency, Press Trust of India (PTI) is a non-profit sharing cooperative owned by the country's newspapers with a mandate to provide efficient and unbiased news to all subscribers. Founded on 27 August, 1947, PTI began functioning from 1 February, 1949. The PTI offers its news services in English and Hindi languages. Bhasha is the Hindi language news service of the agency. PTI subscribers include 500 newspapers in India and scores abroad. All major TV/radio channels in India and several abroad, including BBC in London, receive PTI service. Besides the news and photo services, the other services of the agency include mailer packages of Feature, Science service, Economic service and Data India and screen-based services as News-scan and Stockscan. A television wing, PTI-TV, does features and undertakes corporate documentaries on assignment basis. The PTI has arrangements with the Associated Press (AP) and Agence France Presse (AFP) for distribution of their news in India. AP's photo and international commercial information are also distributed in the country through PTI. United News of India United News of India (UNI) was incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 on 19 December, 1959 and started functioning effective from 21 March, 1961. UNI's innovative spirit was evident when it became the first news agency in India to launch a full-fledged Hindi wire service `UNIVARTA' in 1982 and a Photo Service and a Graphics Service in the same decade. In the early 90s, it launched the first-ever wire service in URDU. UNI today has about 688 subscribers. With 72 offices in India and an employee strength of more than 990 persons, including 339 journalists, Apart from its own correspondents in all major cities of the country. It also has about 329 stringers who report from important towns. The countrywide network has enabled UNI to provide coverage of events from all the regions of the country. UNI is the first Indian news agency to deliver its entire news services in English and Hindi as well as its Photo Service through the Internet. Subscribers can download the stories and pictures from the UNI and UNIVARTA websites. Non-aligned News Agencies Pool The Non-Aligned News Agencies Pool (NANAP) is an arrangement for exchange of news among the news agencies of non-aligned countries. The Pool was established in 1976 with India as its first Chairman (1976-79). The Pool is a world-wide operation embracing four continents, viz., Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The Pool news is exchanged in four languages : English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Pool activities are coordinated by an elected body known as the Coordinating Committee with a Chairman as its head. The Chairman and members of the Coordinating Committee are elected by a General Conference, the top decision-making organ of Pool. The members of the Coordinating Committee are elected on the basis of regional representation, continuity, active participation and rotation.  Press Council of India The Press Council of India has been established under an Act of Parliament for the purpose of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and news agencies in India. The Chairman of the council is by convention, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. The Council has 28 members—20 forms the newspaper world, five are Members of Parliament (three nominated by the speaker of the Lok Sabha and two by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and of the remaining three, one each is nominated by the Sahitya Akademi, the Bar Council of India and the University Grants Commission. RADIO AND TELEVISION Radio Radio broadcasts started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay. After that two privately owned transmitters started at Mumbai and Kolkata. The Government of India took them over in 1927 and started operating them under the name of Indian Broadcasting Source. In 1936, the name of the service was changed to All India Radio. Since 1957, it is known as Akashvani. In 1947 there were only 6 radio stations and 18 transmitters covering 2.5% of area and just 11% of the population. Now its network comprises 213 broadcasting centres. These include 114 regional stations, 77 local radio stations, 14 Relay Centres, 3 Exclusive on Vividh Bharti Centres and 5 community Radio Station. They provide radio coverage to almost the entire population (99.13%) of the country. Television India's first television centre came into being on September 15, 1959 as a pilot project. In August 1965 the first general service started from Delhi. In 1976, television setup was delinked from the Air and given a separate status and name of `Doordarshan'. August 15, 1982 colour television was introduced in India. Now, Doordarshan has grown into one of the biggest television networks in the world. FILMS The first film Pundalik was made by R. G. Torney and N. G. Chitre in 1912. This was followed by Raja Harish Chandra in 1913 by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke. The era of talkie film Alam Ara was produced by Ardeshir Irani. National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), which was established in 1975 and further restructured in 1980, is the central agency to promote good cinema in the country.