AUDIO-VISUAL AND TELECASTING UNIT

As a part of the modernisation of the Library and Information Services available in the Parliament and also to make these more user friendly an Audio-Visual & Telecasting Unit was set up in 1992 with the facilities of a Viewing Room and an Editing Room.

The Service has two Units, viz. Audio Visual Unit and Telecasting Unit: 

I Audio-Visual Unit:

(a) Functions

      This Unit looks after the work of collection of material, accessioning, preservation and preparation of computerized database for quick retrieval of cassettes of the parliamentary proceedings and other events like conferences, seminars, symposia, workshops, telefilms on different aspects of parliamentary practices and procedure. The Unit provides blank cassettes / DVDs / VCDs to the Lok Sabha TV Channel for recording of various programmes. To make the Unit Library more user friendly, a software has been developed for indexing and retrieving the information contained in AV collection. Arrangements have also been made for copying of speeches of members of Parliament into VCDs/DVDs for use by them on payment basis.

(b) Collection

(i) Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings:

        Audio-Video Library is preserving select recordings of Lok Sabha proceedings since 1992 and entire recordings since 1994 in video cassettes of broadcasting quality. The Library also preserves recordings of Rajya Sabha proceedings in VCD format since 1992.

(ii) Linguaphone Courses for MPs:

Audio-Visual Unit has also acquired language learning courses (audio and video cassettes) in various Indian and foreign languages for the use of members of Parliament. The following language learning courses are available for listening/viewing in the Viewing Room:-

(a) Audio Cassettes:

· Language courses in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu through English;

· Hindi language course through commentaries in Assamese, Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu;

· Linguaphone  courses in 23 foreign languages, viz. Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Swedish through English;

· Linguaphone courses for learning Hindi language through English

· Linguaphone courses for learning English language through Hindi.

(b) Video Cassettes:

Linguaphone courses in four foreign languages, viz. French, German, Italian and Spanish through English.                                                    

(c) Facilities for viewing/listening:

        Facilities for viewing/listening to video recordings of proceedings of the Lok Sabha and other parliamentary events, such as national and international parliamentary conferences/seminars, parliamentary films, etc. are available to members of Parliament and other users including accredited correspondents, in a Viewing Room set up in the Unit.

(d) Facilities for Recording of Parliamentary Functions:

Audio-Visual Unit provides facilities for recordings of important parliamentary functions as and when required.

II Telecasting Unit:

(a) Background

     Televising of select parliamentary proceedings was initiated on 20 December 1989 with the live telecast of the Address by the President to the members of both Houses of Parliament. With a view to expand the scope of telecasting, the matter was considered in depth on 26 November 1991 by the General Purposes Committee of the Lok Sabha and then at a Joint Sitting of the General Purposes Committee of both the Houses. Accordingly, it was decided to record the proceedings of the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and then these were to be telecast the next morning. The Question Hour in Lok Sabha was first time telefilmed on 2 December 1991 and telecast the following morning ,i.e., on 3 December 1991 from 7.15 a.m. to 8.15 a.m. Later, the presentation of the Railway and the General Budgets were televised ‘live’ for the first time on 25 February 1992 and 29 February 1992, respectively. Further, important speeches of the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and leaders of various other parties in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, General Debate on the Budget and discussions on the Demands for Grants of various Ministries were telecast in capsule form in order to project the views of various parties for the benefit of viewers. Since 18 April 1994, entire proceedings of the Lok Sabha are being telefilmed.

     As a major step to telecast the parliamentary proceedings ‘live’, a Low Power Transmitter (LPT) was set up and made operational in Parliament House on 25 August 1994 to make telecast available within a range of 10 to 15 kms from Parliament House. The live telecast of the Rajya Sabha was started on 7 December 1994 on Channel 9 Band 3 through another LPT installed in the Parliament House. From 7 December 1994 onwards, the proceedings of the Question Hour of both the Houses are being telecast live on alternate weeks throughout the country on the national channel of Doordarshan from 1100 hrs. to 1200 hrs, All India Radio is also broadcasting the proceedings of the Question Hour of both the Houses on alternate weeks on their National Channel from 2200 hrs. to 2300 hrs. the same night on their national network. It has been arranged in such a manner that during the telecast of the Question Hour of one House by Doordarshan, the Question Hour of the other House is broadcast by All India Radio. With the launch of DD-News Channel, Doordarshan has been telecasting ‘live’ the Question Hour in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha simultaneously on National Channel and DD-News Channel of Doordarshan on alternate weeks since the Winter Session of Parliament in 2003. Howver, if one House is adjouned for any reason, both channels cover the other House. DD News Channel, however, switches over to other important news items temporarily, if it happens during live telecast of Question Hour.

(b) Dedicated Channels for Telecast of Parliamentary Proceedings:

        Two separate dedicated satellite channels were set up on 14 December 2004 for telecasting ‘Live’ the proceedings of both the houses of Parliament. With the setting up of the LSTV Channel, the live coverage of Lok Sabha proceedings is being done by this Channel since 24 July 2006. The 24 hour Channel is being run, serviced and financed by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. In addition to the live and recorded telecast of proceedings of the Lok Sabha the Channel also features various informative, interactive and substantial value-added programmes of general interest and on issues relating to democracy, governance, social, economic and constitutional issues and citizens concerns. To further enhance the reach of the Channel, a website of Lok Sabha TV Channel was launched by the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 9 May 2012. The website (www.loksabhatv.nic.in) has placed the LSTV Channel on the internet domain to extend its reach to wider, younger, audience on the one hand and to help people seeking to address their concerns on the other.

(c) Guidelines for Broadcasting and Telecasting of the President’s Address, the Lok Sabha Proceedings and other Parliamentary Events.

The guidelines for recording, telecasting, webcasting and broadcasting of the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and other parliamentary events and activities and supply of cassettes or discs thereof to members of Parliament, Media and others were issued for the first time on 22 June 1994 in order to ensure that such telecast/broadcast is as per established norms and standards. The Guidelines are kept updated from time to time as per requirement.

(d) Coordination with Doordarshan/AIR/Other Agencies:

        Audio-Visual Unit coordinates with Doordarshan/All India Radio and other agencies for telecasting/broadcasting of   proceedings of Lok Sabha, national and international conferences/seminars besides other important parliamentary functions/ events held in the Parliament precincts and elsewhere. The Unit makes all necessary arrangements for effective and uninterrupted telecast/broadcast by providing infrastructural and other assistance to all agencies concerned. 

(e) Parliamentary Films:

As an extension of telefilming and televising of parliamentary proceedings, video films have been prepared on different parliamentary practices and procedures and other related topics for use of members of Parliament and others. Six Parliamentary films have so far been prepared,viz , “Private Members’ Bills”; “Parliamentary Questions”; “Parliamentary Etiquette and Manners”; “Financial Committees”; “Enriching the Debates in Legislatures”; and “How to be an Effective Parliamentarian?” and the same are available in the Archives of the Unit.