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Doordarshan’s
Metro Channel which has been going down steadily-losing on revenue
and viewership, is trying to regain its position by taking several
new initiatives. For the last few months, especially after Channel
Nine’s contract with DD-2 ended in September last, Prasar Bharti’s
attempts to call for bids failed as it did not receive any satisfactory
offers to fill the time slots.
After two rounds of poor response to its bidding efforts, Prasar
Bharti received a number of proposals in its third attempt to attract
producers. After the expiry of contracts with Channel Nine, when
DD rejected Markand Adhikari’s (of Adhikari Brothers) proposal
to acquire 8 to 10 p.m. slot on DD-2 for one year in lieu of Rs.
18 crore (later he offered Rs. 25 crores) DD had no other option
but to re-run its old serials, as no producer was willing to come
on DD’s conditions.
Serials like
Udaan, Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, Buniyaad, Nukkad, Raja Aur Rancho and
Malgudi Days were acquired by DD-2 for a telecast on royalty basis.
An amount ranging between Rs. 70,000-1,00,000 per episode was paid
to the same producer who had paid high telecast fee to get the DD
platform earlier.
These serials
marketed by DD’s Marketing Division (Mumbai) earned DD a good
revenue but many producers objected the distress sale of FCT (Free
Commercial Time) by DD. According to them, the effective rate for
a 10 seconds spot was not more than Rs. 6000 - Rs. 8000.
Producers like
Vikas Jain who was allotted time for his daily soap Ajeeb Itefaque
from 14.2.2002 on DD-2 decided to postpone the telecast unless DD
restricts its Marketing Division from selling the spots below the
SBR of their own/acquired programmes presently being telecast on
DD-2.
In a letter
addressed to CEO, Prasar Bharti he wrote: “This (distress Sale
of FCT by DD has) forced all producers to request DD for postponement
of their programmes. This (practice) is killing the channel day
by day.”
Vikas Jain
whose serial Aane Wala Pal completed its run on DD-1 recently, is
coming up with his new serial on DD-2 soon. He is hopeful that Prasar
Bharti CEO K.S. Sarma will consider the problems faced by producers
and will do something positive.
In fact, with
the appointment of K.S. Sarma as the new CEO of Prasar Bharti Corporation,
a new hope for the revival of Doordarshan has emerged.
And his initiatives
to revive DD-2 has already started showing positive signals. Some
of the top players in the television business are coming up with
fresh programming for the channel. Producers like Markand Adhikari
and Harish Thawani of Nimbus had meetings with the CEO to discuss
the issue of revival of DD-2.
Sources point
out that Markand Adhikari has promised full support to the CEO of
Prasar Bharti. According to sources in Doordarshan, Adhikari Brothers
have lined up serials like Hello Inspector bbbb(8.00-8.30 p.m.,
Tuesday & Wednesday), The Trap (8.00-8.30 p.m., Thursday, Fridays)
and Kunti (8.30-9.00 p.m. Monday to Friday) for DD-2.
Adhikaris had
introduced many popular serials on DD-2 at one point of time. All
time favourite Shriman-Shrimati is being re-run now on their SABe
TV. When asked about CEO’s new initiatives, Markand Adhikari
told Screen “The new CEO K.S. Sarma is one person who knows
everything about Doordarshan. As the Director General of Doordarshan,
he did everything to bring DD on the top. I am hopeful that his
experiences and his vision will help DD regain its top position
once again.” Producers like Vikas Jain have also requested
K.S. Sarma to consider their demands (for DD-2) which include:
(a) waive the
mandatory MG (Minimum Guarantee) of 20 seconds each episode at the
rate of Rs. 20,000/- each SBR.
(b) An assurance that there will not be any increase in telecast
fees for the next one year so that they get breathing space to revive
the channel.
(c) Restrict Doordarshan’s Marketing Division (Mumbai) from
taking a commercial break of 60 seconds in between programmes.
(d) Restrict DD’s marketing division from selling the spots
below the SBR.
Sources say that Doordarshan has already agreed to not demand any
MG (Minimum Guarantee) from the producers for telecast of their
programmes on DD-2. Simple telecast fee which is about Rs. 1,50,000
- Rs. 2,00,000 with 210 seconds of FCT will be demanded from the
new producers. As one producer puts it, “Every officer of DD
wanted to make DD Metro (DD—2) the primary profit earner for
the organisation but they did nothing concrete in this regard. The
only hope lies with K.S. Sarma who knows how to get things in order.”
—Amitabh
Parashar
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