DD National (formerly DD1) is a state-owned public entertainment television channel in India. It is the flagship channel of Doordarshan, India's public service broadcaster, and the oldest and most widely available terrestrial television channel in India. History 1959 to 1982: Beginnings On 15 September 1959, at the studio of All India Radio, Delhi, the first TV channel in India started an experimental telecast with a small transmitter and a makeshift studio, adopting the brand Doordarshan, Hindi for television. Until 1965, AIR was responsible for the programming production and overall control over content, as the television service began to assume overall production. Krishi Darshan, Chaupaal, Doordarshan Samachar, and Kalyani were among the first generation of programmes produced for the channel. In 1976, the split of the TV and radio services was made official with Doordarshan assuming overall control for television broadcasting. By the time the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment commmenced in 1975, Doordarshan coordinated with AIR as the producer of programs aired in the targeted areas of several Indian states. It would foreshadow the start of the channel's road to be a nationally aired station. By the time SITE had begun, the channel had only been seen in several Indian major cities. 1982 to 1992: Golden years SITE was just a harbinger of many great moments in Doordarshan history. With the launch of the Indian National Satellite System in the 1980s, Doordarshan, as co-partner in the project, took notice of its potential and the federal government began planning to bring Doorsharsan as a national channel aired to millions of Indians. On 15 August 1982, Indedpendence Day, Doordarshan introduced a national colour telecast service from its own TV studio in Mandi House, New Delhi using PAL Colour, and it beamed the celebrations from Red Fort marking the 35th year of nationhood in full colour. On 9 August 1984, as Doordarshan launched its second channel for the metro/urban audience, 'DD2', the existing first channel was renamed 'DD1' and started regular transmission, beginning nationwide satellite broadcasts. In the same year, DD1 started telecast of sponsored TV serials, which were produced by veteran filmmakers and a number of flim production firms for the channel. These drama series were sponsored by a number of Indian companies. DD1's Hum Log was the first sponsored TV serial of Indian television and started airing with its series premiere on 7 July 1984. After the success of Hum Log, many