The Hindu : Prasar Bharati may withdraw `volume discount scheme'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 28, 2003

National

National

Prasar Bharati may withdraw `volume discount scheme'

By K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

Bangalore Sept. 27. To find an amicable solution to the problems involved in the production and telecast of sponsored programmes for Doordarshan, the Prasar Bharati is reportedly inclined to withdraw the "volume discount scheme" soon after its existing commitment with the parties concerned as a "gesture" in resolving other related problems being faced by hundreds of serial producers for the selected channels of Doordarshan in South India, according to sources.

They told The Hindu on Saturday that the All-India Television Federation (AITF) might welcome such a gesture, as it was aware that Doordarshan's commitment with the parties concerned was valid for four more months.

Producers were ready to resume talks on the condition that the Prasar Bharati withdrew the collection of service charges with retrospective effect as they (producers) were ready to pay the charges from August 1, 2003, and not from April 1, 2003, as insisted by the authorities.

Besides, producers want the Prasar Bharati to withdraw other schemes such as bonus spot and rectify the existing anomaly in the free commercial time (FCT) mechanism.

Another demand was to put a halt to the barter system, which was in vogue in the Thiruvananthapuram Kendra.

The meeting convened by Prasar Bharati authorities on Friday here would have been positive if some of the officials had tackled the issues pragmatically. Producers wished that the authorities would have taken them into confidence and solved the issue in the larger interests of society. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Prasar Bharati had reportedly convened an emergency internal meeting on Tuesday and a discussion on the problems of the producers is likely. The meeting may also discuss the problems faced by Doordarshan's Metro channel, which is reportedly facing the threat of closure. If the threat of closure of the Metro channel becomes a reality then 15 mega serials, which have been earning Rs. 7.5 lakh revenue per day for Doordarshan, would go off the air, the sources said.

A number of tele serial producers for Doordarshan's regional centres such as Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram floated the AITF in Bangalore on Friday a few hours before their meeting with a team of officials representing the Prasar Bharati.

The meeting ended in a stalemate following the producers sticking to their "stand" and the officials to their "bureaucratic measure."

When contacted, the Bangalore Doordarshan Director, R. Venkateshwaralu, said that officials concerned would hold another round of talks among themselves and refer the issue to the Prasar Bharati Board.

Besides Mr. Venkateshwaralu, the Deputy Director-General (Marketing-South), N.G. Srinivas, the Director (Marketing) of Prasar Bharati, Vijaya Lakshmi Chabbria, the directors of Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai Doordarshan kendras, and the Deputy Director of Hyderabad Doordarshan Kendra participated in the meeting.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National