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Channel Nine to invest Rs.50 crore in programming

For television producers, this is good news. Australian media giant Channel Nine is all set to commission a number of entertainment programmes to various producers and production houses.

After being awarded the 7 to 9 pm daily slot on DD metro, the biggest challenge before Nine Network Pvt. Ltd., Australia is sourcing of 28 fresh programmes/serials within two months.
Doordarshan has asked the company to start its programmes from August 1. Each day, they would need four new serials (for 7 to 9 pm slot). That means 28 new programmes to start with. Doordarshan has imposed some restrictions like, no dubbed programme will be accepted and repeat (rerun) serials will not be allowed on these slots. DD also won’t allow them to run their serials on any other channel for six months after they are aired on DD Metro.

To meet these demands, Nine Network has opened a office in Mumbai recently. Interestingly, the programming head of Channel Nine in Australia, is an Indian lady, Juhi Ahmed, who is camping in Mumbai to meet the producers and shortlist programmes for the daily two hour slot. A senior official of Doordarshan, who has constantly been in touch with Channel Nine, told Screen that they would finalise and issue orders to selected producers (for production of serials) by the end of June.

Sources say that Channel Nine is only interested in established production houses with good track record. “They also want young stars to come up with good ideas because they think that young producer-directors are doing better in this field” said a DD official. Some of the companies to whom they could commission serials are believed to be Jeetendra’s Balaji Tele Films, Cinevista Communications, Anupam Kher’s newly formed company (with Anil Kapoor, Satish Kaushik ) Delhi based producer Rajan Guna among others.

As another DD official pointed out, “This decision (of awarding Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine, bulk air time or DD Metro) has created a job opportunity worth Rs.50 crore this year for private producers.” This is no exaggeration. After assuring DD a whopping Rs.59 crore for one year, Channel Nine is expected to invest Rs.50 crore in one year on programming alone. Since all serials/programmes are to be made in Hindi, they have to depend on Indian production houses and producers.

Kerry Packer’s company is in the final stages to appoint marketing head and programming heads who will be based in Mumbai. All officials based in India will be Indians.

Market observers feel that Doordarshan by signing this agreement with Kerry Packer’s company, is gaining in all aspects. Now, the responsibility of giving a new lease of life to a almost sinking channel (metro) is with a professional foreign company like Kerry Packer’s.

As far as revenue is concerned Doordarshan is getting that on its own terms and conditions. For example, DD used to get a revenue of Rs.11 crore from 7 to 9 pm slot. Now onwards, it will get Rs.59 crore, almost 5.5 times more than what it used to get. In addition to this, Doordarshan will get free software of two hours for its DD international channel. This software will basically be reruns of their DD Metro programming.

Channel Nine has given DD 10 per cent advance (Rs.5.9 crore) and Bank guarantee of 18 per cent ( of 59 crore) of total amount. That means DD has already secured three months payment by Channel Nine in advance. In addition, Doordarshan will have the content control (of programming) in its hand. Channel Nine will have to run all their serials/programmes, according to the broadcasting code of government of India. Taken at face value, DD seems to be a big gainer in this deal. But as a marketing expert says “Though it is very difficult to say anything at this moment, Channel Nine is a highly professional company and if they bid for 59 crore, they must have confidence to make at least 70 crore in the first year of operation.”

Comments a DD official “You cannot under estimate them. Just see their seriousness and professionalism! They have appointed their engineers in different parts of India just to assure good transmission of their programmes and also to convince the cable operators to carry the signals of DD-2 properly.”

amitabh parashar