Kannur Doordarshan relay centre to be shut forever

Kannur: Doordarshan relay centre that kicked off visuals at Kannur will soon become a memory. The building near Mangattuparamba Engineering college will close by October 31 as the analog mechanism deployed here became outdated.

Doordarshan will now be available only through special DTH facilities. However, the private cable dealers may not be interested in taking the DTH of Doordarshan in a large scale.

When Doordarshan maintenance centre was started in the state for the first time in Kannur in 1985, the centres at Kannur, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Kochi came under it. The relay station was established only later. As the number of viewers who watch television through antenna dropped drastically, the LPTs at Thalassery and Kasaragod, along with the transmitter at Mahe were closed.

The office of relay centre was first established at Pallikunnu. Later the office got shifted to the premises near Mangattuparamba Engineering college with 3 acres of land, better tower facility and staff quarters. At present there are 13 employees here and they may be transferred to any other services. All the 11 relay stations of Doordarshan are going to be closed soon.

Though the programmes are being broadcast from 5.30 am to midnight, only a very few watch them.  Matrubhumi