Prasar Bharti inks content sharing deal with Australia's ABC

MUMBAI: Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati has entered into an agreement with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia?s national broadcaster, which will allow both entities to show each other?s content to their audiences and also cooperate in other areas of programming.

The agreement was signed last week when a delegation of senior Prasar Bharati officials visited Australia.

Australian Minister for Arts and Regional Development Simon Crean, currently in India said the signing of a MoU between ABC and Prasar Bharati will help build a stronger people-to-people and media partnership between the two countries.

"One of the most important goals for the Australia-India relationship is to understand each other better. The ABC and Prasar Bharati will share program content by utilising the extensive Doordarshan and ABC networks, allowing audiences in India and Australia to develop a more accurate and up-to-date appreciation of contemporary developments in the other country," said Crean after a meeting with Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar.

"This MoU will advance the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper?s commitment to build stronger, deeper and broader cultural links between Australia and India, including through collaboration between our arts, cultural and media organisations," he said.

The Australian minister said the agreement could also build on Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever staged in India.

"With over 100 events in 18 cities across India, Oz Fest exposes Indians to contemporary Australia. I am delighted that Doordarshan has supported Oz Fest by filming and broadcasting the Oz Fest opening concert in New Delhi on 16 October and a major concert in Bhubaneswar on 20 October, giving Indian audiences the chance to see some of the Australian best Indigenous performers, Gurrumul Yunupingu and Mark Atkins," Crean said.