Doordarshan (DD) News, India’s national broadcaster, is receiving criticism over its new saffron-colored logo. The new logo debuted on Tuesday (April 16). In a post on X, DD News stated, “While our values remain the same, we are now available in a new avatar.” Prepare to embark on an unprecedented news trip… Experience the all-new DD News!”
“We have the courage to put: Accuracy over speed, Facts over claims, Truth over sensationalism. Because if it is on DD News, it is the truth!” the post added. The change in the logo came just days before the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
The new logo was criticised by opposition leaders in the country. Taking to X, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar said, “National broadcaster Doordarshan colours its historic flagship logo in saffron! As its ex-CEO, I have been watching its saffronisation with alarm and feel — it’s not Prasar Bharati any more — it’s Prachar Bharati!”
In another post, Sircar said on Saturday that the change in the logo would influence voters, “by overlaying the colour one religion and Sangh Parivar colour with a ‘neutral’ public broadcaster and a biased govt/Regime!”
Manish Tewari, a Congress lawmaker, told India Today that the logo change was an attempt by the central government to seize government organizations. Tewari, the former information and broadcasting minister, told the network that the decision obviously endangered the “neutrality and credibility of India’s public broadcaster.”
Defending the change in logo, Andhra Pradesh’s BJP Vice President Vishnu Vardhan Reddy said, “When Doordarshan was launched in 1959, it had a saffron logo. Now, as the government reintroduces the original logo, liberals and Congress are outraging over it. It’s blatantly obvious they harbour hate against ‘Bhagwa’ and Hindus.”
Meanwhile, Gaurav Dwivedi, Prasar Bharati’s current CEO, told the Indian Express that the new logo had a striking orange color. “Using a bright, appealing colour is purely about the channel’s branding and visual aesthetic and it is unfortunate for anyone to be reading anything else into that,” Dwivedi said in an interview with the newspaper.
On 25th April 1982, Doordarshan started testing coloured telecast and the saffron logo came onto everyone’s screen for the first time. The BJP was not in power when Doordarshan changed its logo to saffron.
History of Doordarshan
Doordarshan debuted on September 15, 1959, as a public-service broadcasting service.
In 1965, it began broadcasting daily morning and evening broadcasts from Delhi.
By 1975, the services had expanded to include Mumbai, Amritsar, and other places.
It was transferred to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on April 1, 1976, and Doordarshan was designated as the national broadcaster in 1982.
Later, in 1984, the DD network expanded its scope by adding new channels.
Currently, Doordarshan maintains six national and 17 regional channels.
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