Today we see many types of ads on TV. From food items to clothing, every kind of thing is advertised on TV. But have you ever wondered which advertisement was first aired on Indian television?
TV has lost its identity somewhere in today’s era. There was a time when the audience eagerly waited for the shows telecasted on TV. In this era of OTT, the importance of TV has ended to a lot of extent. But earlier it was not like that, remember the era of Doordarshan? It used to be very slow and calm. At that time TV advertisements also used to be simple and fun. There was a different fun in watching Doordarshan daily soaps, religious serials and kids programmes.
When was the first TV ad aired?
The memories of that decade are still alive in the hearts of some people. India’s first television advertisement was broadcast on January 1, 1976. This advertisement is said to be of Gwalior Suiting and Fabrics. After this advertisement, the whole world of advertisements changed in India. Not only this, when the TV became coloured in 1982, the first colour advertisement at that time was of Bombay Dyeing. Gradually the popularity of ads kept increasing.
About Doordarshan
For the unversed, Doordarshan was established on September 15, 1959, by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. You will be surprised to know that Krishi Darshan is the longest show shown on Doordarshan. This program has helped many farmers. It started on January 26, 1967.
By 1982, Doordarshan had become the national broadcaster of India. When colour television was launched in India in 1982, a wave of happiness ran in everyone’s hearts. Not only this, during the 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi, the broadcast was made colourful. In this way, Doordarshan kept on developing with time.
When television became colourful
After the introduction of colour television in 1982, people’s inclination towards it increased more. The telecast of the Asian Games on Doordarshan brought revolutionary changes in Indian television. In 1966, the Krishi Darshan programme became the pioneer of the Green Revolution in the country. Krishi Darshan is the longest-running Doordarshan programme. Later, shows like Hum Log, Buniyaad, Nukkad, Ramayan and Mahabharat took the popularity of Doordarshan to great heights. Even today the channel has its own loyal fan base.
