Like all good things in India, SAT has been mired in controversy from its inception. The concept of mainstream entertaining development TV, at a tenth of the cost of commercial TV, threatens a lot of people, within the channels and outside producers. Doordarshan is famous for its kickback culture. SAT would take away hours where kickbacks would not reach anyone. Hence internal blocks to allowing it to happen. SAT would also take away hours from external producers who produce mediocre or bad work but have a nexus with DD officials for favours in return for kickbacks, so they too consider SAT a threat. The Chief Minister of Gujarat is on record as wanting to stop SAT which he sees as an election threat. He has publicly approached the Planning Commission to stop it happening.
Many of these forces have gotten together and tried to block, through the law courts, the one month pilot project. Luckily the High Court refused to give a stay and we have now completed the one month project successfully. However for the project to continue we must battle in the courts. So... onwards and we hope upwards.
Mallika Sarabhai
1 comment:
I feel SATtv is the best thing to happen to Gujarati Television. There is a maturity and dignity in the programming values and brings quality television to our doorstep. Given the budgets and other constraints SATtv has performed consistently well. I feel that to not continue with the programming would be sad and a great loss to the viewers.
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