Television and radio after 1991

In 1991, India had one TV channel, Doordarshan. By 2020 there were about 900 private TV networks. The change began with satellite TV: CNN's live coverage of the Gulf War (1991), then Star TV, and Zee TV, the first Hindi satellite channel, in 1992.

Cable operators, who connected homes to satellite channels, grew from about 100 in 1984 to about 60,000 by 1999.

Localisation: foreign channels first showed English programmes, but found that most Indians wanted their own languages. So they adapted. STAR Plus became an all-Hindi channel in 1999, with the slogan 'Aapki Boli, Aapka Plus Point' (your language, your plus point). Regional-language channels grew fast in every state.

Popular kinds of programmes:

• 24×7 news channels;
• reality shows (talent contests, game shows);
• soap operas about families.

Channels compete for ratings (viewer numbers), which bring advertising. This pressure sometimes leads them to sensationalise and intrude into people's private lives, raising questions of ethics.

Radio after 1991: private FM stations began in 2002. They mostly play music and chat; they are not allowed to broadcast political news.

The demand for local radio is strong. The book tells of Raghav FM Mansoorpur 1, a tiny unlicensed station run by a young man from a village in Bihar, playing songs and local announcements, which became popular until it was closed.

The media after 1991 bring more market and more choice, but also new questions about quality, ethics and who gets heard.