The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has extended free access to PBSHABD, Prasar Bharati’s news distribution platform, until March 2027. The service provides ready-to-use news content in multiple formats to registered media organisations across India at no cost. Since its launch in March 2024, the platform has grown to serve 3,600 media outlets including newspapers, television channels and digital publishers.
PBSHABD stands for Prasar Bharati – Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination. It represents a shift from an internal news wire that served only Prasar Bharati’s own channels (Akashvani and Doordarshan) to an open platform that shares content with the wider media industry. The service is designed to strengthen news credibility across India’s fragmented media landscape by providing professionally verified content that smaller and regional outlets can use immediately.
Key facts
- Service launched: 13 March 2024
- Free access extended to: March 2027
- Registered media organisations using the service: 3,600
- Content available in: 15 Indian languages
- Content formats: text, video, audio, photographs and infographics
- News categories covered: nearly 50
- Prasar Bharati field correspondents and stringers: over 1,500
- Editorial desks processing content: 60, working round the clock
- Akashvani regional news units: 46
- Doordarshan regional news units: 31
- Akashvani daily bulletins: 607 in 92 languages and dialects
- Doordarshan daily bulletins: over 145 in 22+ languages
What PBSHABD provides
The platform supplies news content around the clock, covering developments from the national capital to district headquarters. All content is timestamped, datelined and captioned so users know exactly when and where events occurred. The material undergoes multiple editorial checks before dissemination to guard against fake, morphed or manipulated content. Unlike traditional news agencies, PBSHABD content carries no Prasar Bharati logo and requires no credit line, allowing smaller outlets to publish stories under their own mastheads.
Content comes in five formats to suit different newsroom needs. Text allows quick adaptation for print and web. Video and audio serve broadcast outlets. Photographs and infographics provide visual elements. This variety means a single story can be used across television, newspapers, websites and mobile applications without requiring editorial rework.
Who can register and use it
Registered newspapers and journals with valid RNI (Registrar of Newspapers for India) certificates may sign up. Television and radio stations require valid uplink and downlink certificates. Digital publishers can register by submitting a copy of their PAN (Permanent Account Number). Each organisation receives one login that newsroom journalists can share internally. Registration is the only requirement; there is no subscription fee.
The news gathering network behind the service
PBSHABD draws on one of India’s largest news collection systems. Prasar Bharati employs over 1,500 reporters, correspondents and stringers spread across the country. These field workers feed stories into 60 dedicated editorial desks that operate continuously. Akashvani (All India Radio) runs 46 regional news units producing 607 bulletins daily in 92 languages and dialects. Doordarshan runs 31 regional news units producing over 145 bulletins in 22 languages. This distributed network covers nearly every State and Union Territory, capturing both major national events and local developments.
Connection to existing Prasar Bharati operations
PBSHABD evolved from the Prasar Bharati News Service (PBNS), which since 1997 has supplied news only to Akashvani and Doordarshan’s internal newsrooms. The same infrastructure, reporters and editorial teams now serve thousands of independent media outlets. The shift reflects a recognition that Prasar Bharati’s news gathering capacity is a public resource that can strengthen journalism across the country. By sharing verified content, the platform aims to reduce the cost and time burden on newsrooms while ensuring accurate information reaches audiences through multiple channels.
What this means for you
If you work in a registered media organisation, your newsroom can access free national and international news content without maintaining expensive correspondent networks in major cities or abroad. Smaller newspapers and regional outlets benefit most, as they can offer readers professionally produced coverage they could not afford to gather independently. Readers benefit from increased availability of verified news across many outlets and platforms. The service aims to counter misinformation by making credible content readily available to competing newsrooms that might otherwise rely on unverified online sources.
What happens next
Free access continues until March 2027, allowing media organisations to plan their use of the service with certainty. Prasar Bharati has announced plans for PBSHABD 2.0, which will introduce new product lines and improved delivery mechanisms, though details remain unreleased.