DD Saptagiri, previously known as DD-8, is state-owned Indian television channel operated by

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

, catering to

Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...

-speaking audiences in

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...

. Originally launched in 1993 as DD-8, the channel was renamed in 2003 after the Saptagiri hills, a cultural landmark associated with the

Tirumala Venkateswara Temple The Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala or Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala, Tirupati Urban Mandal in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a for ...

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...

. Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, DD Saptagiri relocated its operations from

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

Vijayawada Vijayawada ( ), formerly known by its colonial name Bezawada, is the second largest city and a major commercial hub in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. The city forms an integral part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and is situated on th ...

to serve the newly formed Andhra Pradesh, while a separate channel, DD Yadagiri, was introduced for

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

audiences. DD Saptagiri was formally relaunched from Vijayawada on 27 September 2014. The channel provides a mix of news, cultural programs, and regional entertainment, targeting the 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh. Available through terrestrial transmission,

direct-to-home Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

(DTH) satellite, and cable networks, DD Saptagiri ensures wide accessibility across India and select international locations. It broadcasts via the INSAT-4B satellite and is also accessible on the Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) network.

History

The channel was originally launched on 10 October 1993 as DD-8 to cater to

-speaking audiences. On 2 April 2003, it was renamed DD Saptagiri, drawing its name from the Saptagiri hills, a significant cultural landmark in

associated with the

. The name is derived from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

words "Sapta" (seven) and "Giri" (hill), symbolizing the temple's seven surrounding hills. Prior to the

bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh The Telangana movement refers to the movement for the separation of Telangana, from the pre-existing state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The new state corresponds to the Telugu-speaking portions of the former princely state of Hyderabad, which w ...

in 2014, the channel operated from

. Following the creation of

, DD Saptagiri shifted its base to

to serve the newly formed Andhra Pradesh, while a new channel, DD Yadagiri, was launched to cater to audiences in Telangana. Doordarshan Vijayawada, the studio facility associated with DD Saptagiri, had been producing regional content since the 1990s. These programs primarily focused on

Coastal Andhra Coastal Andhra, also known as Kosta Andhra (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: Kōstā Āndhra), is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, comprising the coastal districts of the state between the East ...

and were previously aired weekly through Doordarshan Kendra Hyderabad. The formal relaunch of DD Saptagiri from Vijayawada on 27 September 2014 was marked by an event attended by then

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh is the chief executive of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's ''de jure'' head, but '' de facto'' executive authority rests with the ch ...

N. Chandrababu Naidu Nara Chandrababu Naidu (; born 20 April 1950), commonly known as CBN, is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. He holds the record of longest-serving Chief Minister in the political histor ...

and Union Minister of Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu. During the event, Venkaiah Naidu announced the naming of the All India Radio Bhavan in Vijayawada as Pingali Venkayya Bhavan in honor of

Pingali Venkayya Pingali Venkayya (2 August 1876/8 – 4 July 1963) was an Indian freedom fighter, known for designing the initial version of the Flag of India, Indian National Flag. Apart from his role in the independence movement, Venkayya was a Lecturer#Ind ...

, the designer of the

Indian national flag The national flag of India, Colloquialism, colloquially called Tiraṅgā (the tricolour), is a horizontal rectangular tricolour flag, the colours being of India Saffron (color)#Political & religious uses, saffron, white and Variations of gree ...

Programming and reach

DD Saptagiri's programming primarily targets the 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh. The channel broadcasts through

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

over-the-air transmission as well as via

(DTH) satellite and cable networks, ensuring access across India and some international locations. The channel's content includes news, cultural programs, and regional entertainment.

Transmission and availability

The channel is accessible on various platforms:

Satellite Frequency Details

* INSAT-4B (C-BAND): 93.5°E, Frequency: 4060 MHz (Horizontal), Symbol Rate: 4250 * INSAT-4B (KU-BAND): 93.5°E, Frequency: 11150 MHz (Vertical), Symbol Rate: 27500

APSFL (Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited)

* Channel Number: 064

Notes

References

External links

*
Doordarshan Official Internet site

Doordarshan news site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dd Saptagiri Telugu-language television channels Foreign television channels broadcasting in the United Kingdom Television channels and stations established in 1977 Direct broadcast satellite services Indian direct broadcast satellite services Doordarshan Television stations in Andhra Pradesh Television stations in Vijayawada