In the mid-1990s, DD3 was launched and pitched as a thinking person`s channel, paying serious attention to theatre and art, along with discussions and analyses of books and ideas. While DD3 was abruptly wound up for being a financial deadweight, the lesson survives. `Surabhi`, was one of the most widely watched cultural programmes on Indian television. With its "mix of fun and sobriety", `Surabhi` was a stab at "popularising and demystifying culture.

After DD3`s untimely demise, DD Bharati was launched in 26th January 2002, and bore little resemblance to the clubby DD3. Instead, it sought to create niche programmes in areas as diverse as health, children and art and culture, of eight hours each. DD Bharati was the brainwave of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime; it brought its own set of priorities to culture. For example, a prime-time experiment was Sanskrit Bharati, a half-hour exercise in spoken Sanskrit. DD Bharati says it with flowers, as you might have noticed if you have tuned in. There are flowers on the logo and flowers blooming in their corporate ad. It`s not very clever to say Bharati in white on the channel logo. Today, its survival, and indeed, the survival of arts broadcasting in India, depends largely on its own wit and ingenuity. In the interim, DD Bharati is determinedly wholesome. And hotchpotch. One minute you get a tutorial on various schools of music or dance, the next somebody is holding forth on the importance of teeth in the human body. If you want a rough idea of what to expect, there will be health in the morning (DD style: self-conscious, dressed-up woman sitting by a table lamp and telling you about yoga), programmes for young people from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., art and culture thereafter.

Its telecast schedule includes:
Programmes on adventure, quiz contests, fine arts/paintings, crafts and designs, cartoons, talent hunts etc.; "MERI BAAT" an hour-long phone-in `live` show with young people; A four-hour segment emphasizing a healthy life style and focusing on prevention rather than cure, both in out traditional and modern forms of medicine; a Classical dance/music performances by top class artists of national and international fame; Programmes on theatre, literature, music, paintings, sculpture & architecture; Programmes in collaboration with organizations like IGNCA, CEC, IGNOU, PSBT, NCERT and Sahitya Academy. The channel also provides extensive coverage to the AIR Sangeet Sammelans and contributions made by the Regional Doordarshan Kendra`s are regularly telecast live/recorded.

Unfortunately, DD Bharati`s idea of a playful format is filming a Socrates-style conversation between dancer Swapnasundari and her young disciples. Similarly, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) runs two hours of research-oriented programming, exploring ritual and context, oral traditions and so on, in a magazine show called `Kala Tarang`. While both are good ideas, they are far from being compelling watching material. There are various other shows on DD Bharati like Gyan Seth`s series on classical music. But these are so erratic and badly publicized that you just have to watch and hope you bump into some quality programmes. DD Bharati also has to create vibrant programming that can vie for attention with the other 70-odd channels on air.

One of the ways to "grow" an audience and make meaningful arts content is to invest in experimentation. Out of Prasar Bharati`s annual budget of Rs.2, 000 crores, DD Bharati got a measly Rs.14 crores in 2003.

The Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act of 1995 makes it mandatory for cable operators to show three channels of Doordarshan on prime band. The cable operators are bound by law to show DD National, DD Metro and one more channel on this band. Prasar Bharati issued a notification, on Feb 7,2002, making it mandatory for cable operators in some States to carry DD-Bharati, the new infotainment channel. In the year 2004, DD Bharati was set to launch a gamut of programmes on health, children, art and culture. Featuring in the health band was a health quiz programme, Khilkhilati Zindagi, a show based on the current health news and solutions with medical and health specialists from reputed hospitals. The show premiered on 2 March 2004 at 8.00am.

Based on the Superman theme, film star Hema Malini featured in Kya Tum Mujhse Dosti Karoge which was on air on Wednesdays at 7.30 pm, and also featured Himani Shivpuri, Master Yash Shah and Baby Natalio.

The third, Rang Manch, an episodic show consisting of independent short plays of 30 minutes each is based on world classics, from classical Sanskrit period to contemporary times. This was on air Wednesdays at 8.00 pm.

The last of the lot, Cactus Flower, a serial based on a novel written by Sahitya Akademi award winner Nirupama Basrgohain. The serial Cactus Flower as the name suggests, is based on the very nature of the Cactus Flower, which blooms in very little water and still survives.