As television programmes in India became commercialised and carried advertisements of their sponsors, which change was evident?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A shift in the target audience
Option (1) A shift from state to private ownership of channels — Incorrect. Commercialisation here means that Doordarshan programmes began to carry sponsors' advertisements. Doordarshan itself stayed with the state, so the ownership of channels stayed the same.
Option (2) A shift from Hindi to regional-language broadcasting — Incorrect. The language of broadcasting stayed as it was. Hum Log, a hit of this very period, was broadcast in Hindi.
Option (3) A shift in the target audience — Correct. Sponsors paid for programmes to reach buyers of their goods, so the target audience shifted. Entertainment programmes grew and were directed to the urban consuming class.
Option (4) A shift from cable to satellite transmission — Incorrect. Satellite transmission had already been used for SITE in 1975-76, long before sponsored programmes. Commercialisation changed who the programmes were made for, and the mode of transmission stayed outside it.
NCERT (2026-27): “Television … “As programmes become commercialised and were allowed to carry advertisements of their sponsors, a shift in the target audience was evident. Entertainment programmes grew and were directed to the urban consuming class. The advent of colour broadcasting during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the rapid expansion of the national network led to rapid commercialisation of television broadcasting. …” |