While reading material is at a premium another medium the Bollywood film is ubiquitous. India boasts the largest film industry in the world and its people’s passion for these musical films is undeniable. The people of India satisfy their hunger for entertainment by watching Bollywood film songs on television. There are 108 million homes in India with a television. Each television is watched on an average by 5 people, making the Indian television viewer ship number 540 million!

PlanetRead uses the power and reach of entertainment to fill the need for education. In India, beloved songs from Bollywood films appear on national television Doordarshan with PlanetRead’s Same Language Subtitling (SLS). This provides automatic reading practice to 300 million early literates. With SLS the viewers subconsciously associate the songs with the text, so the familiar lyrics on screen reinforce their literacy skills. Since 1997, several impact studies including eye tracking experiments have resulted in this proven approach to reading skill improvement on a mass scale. Independent surveys conducted by AC Nielsons’ ORG Centre for social research found that SLS is preferred by 90% viewers and that it accelerates reading skill improvement among adults and children both in and out of school. 3 to 5 years of exposure to SLS enables a person with basic familiarity with the alphabet, to become functionally literate.

First broadcast in 1999 on a film song program in Gujarat, SLS programs are now enjoyed in 10 regional languages nationwide. India’s national broadcaster Doordarshan has seen a 15% ratings increase on programs with SLS. The programs are being sponsored by local education departments and private people who are interested in the promotion of literacy.

The following table gives you details of programs with SLS on Doordarshan, India’s National broadcaster: