If you did not know about the TED initiative, its a good way and time to find out about it. The TED foundation is a non profit organization that believes that the great minds and ideas should be accessible to all. It aims to provide a platform for the world’s smartest thinkers, greatest visionaries and most-inspiring teachers, so that millions of people can gain a better understanding of the biggest issues faced by the world, and a desire to help create a better future. Core to this goal is a belief that there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea. Consider:

• An idea can be created out of nothing except an inspired imagination.
• An idea weighs nothing.
• It can be transferred across the world at the speed of light for virtually zero cost.
• And yet an idea, when received by a prepared mind, can have extraordinary impact.
• It can reshape that mind’s view of the world.
• It can dramatically alter the behavior of the mind’s owner.
• It can cause the mind to pass on the idea to others.

Today, I’m thrilled to write about TED’s newest initative in sharing great ideas with the world: theOpen TV Project, which will bring TEDTalks to broadcast TV networks around the globe. Launched in May 2010, the TED Open TV Project allows broadcasters worldwide to air TEDtalks for free, provided they follow basic guidelines (no editing, interrupting or showing commercials during the talks). Licensed broadcasters will have permission not only to air the talks, but also create programs around them — for example, using local hosts to introduce or wrap up the talks. It’s truly open-source TV.

[ad#Assense-Wide-C]

I am urging that from the  gazillion TV Channels in India at least one of them to pick on this great opportunity to spread new awareness into the sub continent. TED is available so far in these countries and channels. And seeing that Pakistani and Philippine channels have taken on this opportunity, I do not think that Indian channels should stay behind.

The best thing that TED could have done apart from the awesome work that they have already been doing is to get their ideas to main stream media. From being an organization who provided all the great ideas online now they have a chance to go offline and provide it to those people who do not have access to the Internet as well, where low internet penetration and slow connections make online video impractical. Where appropriate, the talks will be translated into the local language, and these new translations will be made available on TED.com. Bravo is all I can say. The TV is no more going to be an Idiot Box.