DU's own TV channel has much on its platter

Flashing on LCD screens in college canteens will be live sports events of the Commonwealth Games, job opportunities and even entertainment programmes - the Delhi University's soon-to-be launched television channel is all set to revolutionise life on the campus.

The internet-based Delhi University Television Network (DUTN), which was conceptualised about five months back, will take the help of students and staff - especially of the mass communication department - to bring all the latest happenings and news of the university to the students, without depending on other forms of media.

AK Bakshi, director of Delhi University's Institute of Lifelong Learning (ILL) that will handle the operations of the channel, said: "It has been long felt that there is a need to bring together over three lakh students of the university scattered all over Delhi in over 80 colleges and ensure a free flow of information among them."

"Three or four LCD screens will be there in every college - in the canteen, in the students' common room and the staff room, where the students and staff will be able to access the network feeds. The project should take off in the next two-three months," he added.

"There is so much happening in the university - in terms of new courses, sporting events, convocations, talks, placements - that there was a need to have our own medium through which students can come to know of it all," he said.

"Admissions, for instance, is one time when a lot of information is floating around. It needs to be captured in one place for the benefit of all," he added.

According to Bakshi, there will be three main types of programmes on the channel - education, entertainment and information.

"Under education, there can be programmes on new courses that are being launched and cut-offs during admission time. In entertainment, we can showcase some short films that students of mass communication make as well as events during the college festivals," he said.

Information about which companies are coming to the campus for placements, discussions and talks by various dignitaries and even live and recorded feeds of the sporting events during the Commonwealth Games are some of the programmes that DUTN may telecast.

It may even show programmes on physical fitness.

"We are still in the process of drafting the policy framework for DUTN. Initially, it will be available only in 12 colleges of the north campus, but later we will increase the bandwidth to include other colleges too," Bakshi said.

"One must change with the times and use technology for one's benefit. Abroad, may universities have their own local television channel. This channel is an effort in the same path," Bakshi said.