Congress president Sonia Gandhi got more than 8 hours of coverage on Doordarshan in the first five months of United Progressive Alliance government coming to power.

The coverage of Sonia by Doordarshan between May 23, 2004 and October 31, 2004 also included her appearances in her capacity as chairperson of National Advisory Council and chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, Information and Broadcasting Minister S Jaipal Reddy said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

During the period, Bharatiya Janata Party president got 4 hours and 11 minutes of coverage, while Nationalist Congress Party chief appeared on Doordarshan for 1 hour and 33 minutes.

Sonia had got just under three and half hours of coverage on the public broadcaster in the same period last year, while BJP president was on air for almost five and half hours.

NCP chief was on Doordarshan for nearly 28 minutes between May 23, 2003 and October 31, 2003.

Interestingly, Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders got over 1 hour and five minutes of coverage on Doordarshan this year as opposed to just four minutes last year. Similarly, CPI leaders got one hour and 38 minutes on air in 2004 as against just three minutes the previous year.

Reddy, in reply to another question, said the prime minister has instructed that his photograph need not be inserted in advertisements issued by the ministries, departments and public sector undertakings except in the case of events of national importance or on national events.