The public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati is bolstering its digital news wing, Prasar Bharati News Service (PBNS) aiming to disseminate authentic news from the government and from across the world.
The Prasar Bharati board approved Prasar Bharati News Service in 2016, establishing the services gained momentum in 2020 when the board decided to terminate the subscriptions of news agencies Press Trust of India and Unites News of India.
According to a media report, the broadcaster felt the requirement to distribute authentic information from the government including the latest advisories and information related to Covid-19 after fake news was doing rounds during the pandemic period.
PBNS was launched before the General elections in 2019 with an objective to distribute content through social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. The news service is available for subscription as of now and is likely to be made a subscription-based service in the future.