25 years of Satellite broadcasting in India (1975-2000)

25 years of Satellite broadcasting in India (1975-2000)
(source: Yatra - a recent publication of DECU ISRO Ahmedabad)

Credit for first visualization of a space station that can facilitate global communication goes to Arthur Clarke. In his paper at the Wireless World 1945, he first presented the thought of a geosynchronous satellite and said that three such satellites could provide global communication.

The advantages of the space station briefly summarized by Arthur Clarke:
• It is the only way in which thru world coverage can be achieved for all possible
types of services
• It permits unrestricted use of a band at least 1, 00, 00 Mc/s wide, and with the
use of beams an almost unlimited number of channels would be available.
• The power requirements are extremely small since the efficiency of illumination
will be almost 100 percent. Moreover the cost of the power would be very low.
• However great the initial expense, it would only be a fraction of that required
for the world networks replaced, and the running costs would be incomparably less.

Coming to the Indian scenario, the great visionary scientist Dr Vikram Sarabhai advocated the use of satellite communication to reach out to remote areas. To him it was a system for social transformation for the under privileged.

The wisdom of Dr Vikram Sarabhai:
There are some who question the relevance of space activities in developing nations. To us there is no ambiguity of purpose. We do not have the fantasy of competing with the economically advanced nations in the exploration of the moon or the planets, or manned space flights. But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally and in the community of nations, we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society, which we find in our country.

" In any developing country, one of the prime ingredients of development is the dissemination of information: information about new fertilizers, seeds, insecticides, cropping patterns, new technology, new findings and discoveries in all fields new goods and services, new living patterns, etc. The process of education is basically related to an information dissemination/transfer process. for the rapid and sustained growth of developing countries, the urgent need to disseminate information to the masses is obvious."

LAND MARKS OF SATELLITE BROADCASTING
1975 SATELLITE INSTURCTIONAL TELEVISION EXPERIENT LAUNCHED
1978 FIRST LIVE TELECAST OF CRICKET MATCH FROM PAKISTAN
1982 NATIONAL PROGRAMME: COLOUR TRANSMISSION AND NETWORKING THROUGH SATELLITE, LIVE
TELECAST OF ASIAN GAMES
1984 COUNTRY WIDE CLASSROOM OF UGC LAUNCHED
1986 FIRST REGIONAL SATELLITE NETWORK IN MAHARASTRA
1990 LIVE TELECAST OF GULF WAR BY CNN
1991 STAR TV, THE PRIVATE CHANNEL BEAMED FOR INDIA ON A BIG SCALE
1992 ZEE TV, LAUNCH OF FIST HINDI CHANEL
1993 EXCLUSIVE SATELLITE CHANNELS BY DD
1993 REGIONAL LANGUAGE SATELLITE CHANNEL BY SUN TV FOLLOWED BY OTHERS
1993 REGIONAL LANGUAGE SATELLITE CHANNELS BY DD
1995 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION CHANNEL TDCC LAUNCHED
1997 PRASAR BAHRATI - AUTONOMOUS BROADCASTING CORPORATION OF INDIA
2000 GYAN DARSHAN CHANNEL LAUNCHED BY IGNOU