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DD has several plans for the millennium

Contrary to the media reports that Doordarshan has nothing to offer for the millennium event, DD authorities have drawn several plans.

According to the spokesperson for Prasar Bharati Corporation, DD will telecast a 24-hour show Millennium Dawns on India starting from 12 noon on December 31, 1999 to 12 noon on January 1, 2000. It will be shown on the National Network. The programme will project India’s deep-rooted philosophy as it evolved over the centuries bringing a vibrant, modern India on the threshold of new millennium. The sun rising on the millennium from Katchal in Andaman Nicobar Islands will be telecast live.

Doordarshan has hired the services of media personalities like Anupam Kher, Rajiv Mehrotra, Muzaffar Ali, Siddharth Kak, Nisar Allanna, Shovana Narayan and many more from the art and creative field.

Anupam Kher is expected to spend a few days in Mandi House, looking after the creative aspect of the event. He has been allotted one room at Mandi House for the same.

TV veterans like Kamleshwar and Romesh Sharma and other in-house talents like Rajshekhar Vyas and Sharad Dutt are also making programmes for the millennium.

Doordarshan will also be contributing programmes to the global telecast of a consortium of 65 leading television networks from all over the world. This global telecast will go live on DD2 for 25 hours. This will include the celebrations from all over the world from Sydney Harbour to Times Square, New York and with Thames on Fire to mid-night in Iceland and also countries like China, Japan and most of Europe. The live telecast will start at 3.30 pm in the afternoon on December 31 and will continue till 4.30 pm the next day i.e January 1, 2000.

According to information received, Doordarshan has allotted 21 minutes time for the live telecast from Benaras, Taj Mahal, Kanyakumari and Rajasthan. During the live telecast for the millennium, all the 65 leading channels (including DD) of the world will withdraw their respective logos so that a uniformity in the programme is maintained.

Amitabh Parashar