ITV

Tag: Doordarshan

  • Viacom18’s MTV Beats now on DD’s Freedish

    Viacom18’s MTV Beats now on DD’s Freedish

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s maiden music channel MTV Indies, which recently got replaced by new kid MTV Beats, has been placed on Doordarshan’s Freedish as a free to air (FTA) channel.

    MTV Beats has replaced Viacom18’s currently running channel X Zone on the pubcaster’s DTH platform that carries FTA channels and is popular in semi-urban and rural areas of India.

    The Hindi music channel will be available on various other DTH platforms and bundled with Viacom18’s offerings as a pay channel.

    MTV Beats was conceived and launched recently to replace MTV Indies with an aim to address a mass audience. It will predominantly focus on Bollywood music. MTV Beats is targeted at 15–30-year-olds across urban and rural India.

    Viacom18 has also acquired an additional licence to launch MTV Beats HD.

  • Viacom18’s MTV Beats now on DD’s Freedish

    Viacom18’s MTV Beats now on DD’s Freedish

    MUMBAI: Viacom18’s maiden music channel MTV Indies, which recently got replaced by new kid MTV Beats, has been placed on Doordarshan’s Freedish as a free to air (FTA) channel.

    MTV Beats has replaced Viacom18’s currently running channel X Zone on the pubcaster’s DTH platform that carries FTA channels and is popular in semi-urban and rural areas of India.

    The Hindi music channel will be available on various other DTH platforms and bundled with Viacom18’s offerings as a pay channel.

    MTV Beats was conceived and launched recently to replace MTV Indies with an aim to address a mass audience. It will predominantly focus on Bollywood music. MTV Beats is targeted at 15–30-year-olds across urban and rural India.

    Viacom18 has also acquired an additional licence to launch MTV Beats HD.

  • Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark  style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

    “No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

    Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

    A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

    Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
    Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told  indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

    public://ScreenShot of Jawhar Sircar FB Post.jpg

    Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

    According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

    On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

    A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

    Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

    In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

    Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

    He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

    Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

    Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

    Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

    Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

    Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

     

     

  • Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    Jawhar Sircar sets 12-point action plan before early retirement

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer Jawhar Sircar wants to ride into the sunset slightly before his tenure ends officially first quarter 2017, but in his trademark  style — feisty, frank and fearless — has started a raging debate in media and political circles nevertheless.

    “No, I have not threatened to quit (but) have just expressed a desire to relinquish (duties) a few months before tenure (ends). I do not see any controversy in that,” Sircar told indiantelevision.com.

    Sources in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) confirmed on Sunday that Sircar has not resigned yet, but has informally expressed desire to leave Prasar Bharati few months before his five-year tenure ends officially early 2017.

    A source in Prasar Bharati, while agreeing with the MIB line, informed this website that Sircar has drawn a 12-point list of things he would like to accomplish before relinquishing office. The source, however, declined to spell out the action points.

    Interestingly, in a Facebook post on his timeline Saturday, Sircar did say that he wants to go from Prasar Bharat, also alluding to the time-frame. “Since news is out today: I will clarify. I hope to be back in Kolkata by NOV. After 41+ years (of) service, I want to retire: just to read, write and relate,” he wrote. One presumes by NOV, he mean November of 2016.
    Sircar, who took office in mid-February 2012 and has been at odds at times with MIB and even the Prasar Bharati Board, told  indiantelevision.com, “The Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Prasar Bharati Board are in sync and supportive…. No issues there.”

    public://ScreenShot of Jawhar Sircar FB Post.jpg

    Pointing out that the present MIB Secretary Ajay Mittal had been “supportive” as also his immediate predecessor, Sunil Arora, who’s now an advisor to Prasar Bharati, Sircar described the speculation regarding his quitting the pubcaster as “playing in non-troubled waters”.

    According to the feisty former bureaucrat, relationship with MIB “improved dramatically” after Arora took over as Secretary in 2014.

    On being asked about the media reports and resultant debate on his quitting Prasar Bharati as he was “tired”, Sircar cryptically said he had not wanted to speak to anyone but was compelled to reply to some “charged SMS from some newspersons” when he was in Benaras or Varanasi recently. He refused to elaborate any further.

    A go-getter bureaucrat who took retirement from active government service to take up the top, but challenging, job at India’s pubcaster, managing Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), Sircar had told indiantelevision.com few months back in an interview that Prasar Bharti’s “monopolistic-era mind-set had to change” if it has to make itself relevant in today’s vastly changed India broadcasting scenario or come anywhere near BBC’s standards.

    Not only critical of his own Board of Directors, Sircar had, from time to time, taken on the political establishment too in India, accusing it of using Prasar Bharati as a fiefdom for government propaganda.

    In recent times, he has been criticised within Prasar Bharati for proposing to auction time-slots on DD to gain good programming and additional revenue. However, due to bureaucracy and vested interests at play, the scheme failed to get the desired results, failing to take off in the first place.

    Still, Sircar has been able to break new grounds and introduce digital technologies and cut down obsolescence at Prasar Bharat. He has also given a new push to digitization of the huge archives of AIR and DD and has received three awards for this in three years.

    He has also been elected as Vice-President of the world’s largest public broadcasting service TV and radio organization, Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union, on which 67 nations are represented.

    Sircar’s name had been cleared after a three-member selection panel in 2012, headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari and comprising the Press Council of India Chairman and MIB Secretary, recommended his name for the CEO’s post at Prasar Bharati. The appointment of the CEO is done by the President of India on the recommendation of the selection panel, which will, probably, have to start deliberations soon.

    Born on 22 March 1952, Sircar belongs to the 1975 batch of Indian Administrative Service from West Bengal. After the retirement of MIB Secretary Raghu Menon in September 2011, Sircar had been asked to hold additional charge of the ministry as a stop-gap measure, apart from his Secretary’s responsibilities at the Culture Ministry.

    Sircar holds two post-graduate degrees in Ancient Indian History and Culture and in Sociology with Social Anthropology. He has served at various senior positions in the Central and State Governments.

    Sircar is actively associated with several cultural and academic bodies like the Asiatic Society, Victoria Memorial, Centre for Archaeological Studies, Kolkata Museum of Modern Art and the Indian Anthropological Society. He took the lead in establishing the annual Kolkata Film Festival as an international event and has published several articles and research papers on history, culture and society. In the last decade, he has focused his research on specific aspects of popular culture, folk religion and on the development of socio-religious identities.

    Sircar studied at St Xavier’s School, Presidency College and Calcutta University in Kolkata and at the Universities of Cambridge and Sussex.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

     

     

  • DD allocates sum of Rs 11.22 crore for north east states during 2016-17

    DD allocates sum of Rs 11.22 crore for north east states during 2016-17

    NEW DELHI: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing greater concentration on helping the northeastern states, Doordarshan has sanctioned a sum of Rs 11.22 crore this month for the year 2016-17 for twelve kendras in north east India.

    The amount has been given from the reserve fund of DD’s IEBR (internal extra-budgetary resources), according to a directive issued by the DD Directorate on 1 September 2016.

    All the kendras have been instructed by the Directorate to keep the expenditure within the limits set for the year and send a Monthly Expenditure Statement by the fifth of the next month.

    The Kendras are Aizwal, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Gangtok, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohim, Shillong, Silchar,.Tura and the Programme Production Centre in Guwahati.

    Despite announcements to the contrary, there was only a marginal increase in the budget ananoucement for Information and Broadcasting Ministry in February this year in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 80 crore against Rs 75 crore last year

  • DD allocates sum of Rs 11.22 crore for north east states during 2016-17

    DD allocates sum of Rs 11.22 crore for north east states during 2016-17

    NEW DELHI: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing greater concentration on helping the northeastern states, Doordarshan has sanctioned a sum of Rs 11.22 crore this month for the year 2016-17 for twelve kendras in north east India.

    The amount has been given from the reserve fund of DD’s IEBR (internal extra-budgetary resources), according to a directive issued by the DD Directorate on 1 September 2016.

    All the kendras have been instructed by the Directorate to keep the expenditure within the limits set for the year and send a Monthly Expenditure Statement by the fifth of the next month.

    The Kendras are Aizwal, Agartala, Dibrugarh, Gangtok, Guwahati, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohim, Shillong, Silchar,.Tura and the Programme Production Centre in Guwahati.

    Despite announcements to the contrary, there was only a marginal increase in the budget ananoucement for Information and Broadcasting Ministry in February this year in the lump sum provision for projects/schemes for development of North-eastern areas including Sikkim to Rs 80 crore against Rs 75 crore last year

  • DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

    DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

    NEW DELHI: Fazed by stagnant viewership and battling a “negative perception”, Doordarshan has set up a strategy ‘War Room’ to look into re-vitalising the pubcaster’s marketing and content acquisition processes with an overall aim to enhance revenues.

    The crisis management group, set up under the overall stewardship of DD Director-General Supriya Sahu, is mandated to suggest ways to attract and invite fresh talent for various DD channels in view of depleting manpower, new marketing and programming strategies and shore up the bottomlines via innovative marketing.

    Elaborating on the need for a crisis management group, the DG said in an office order: “Dive deep into the issues that are adversely impacting our performance and devise a strategy to re-position ourselves… (hence) it is proposed to set up a strategy ‘War Room’ in the office of Director-General.”

    According to Sahu, who has taken over the new role at DD few months back after having done a fruitful stint at Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the `War Room’ will study rules and regulations for in-house production and suggest measures to modify them to  improve programming for DD National and regional channels.

    The office order doesn’t mince words when it goes on to add that new programming strategy should look at revamping how programmes and films are acquired for DD channels— especially for the auction slots — and suggest credible methods to improve viewership (audience measurement) and enhance revenues. 

    In addition, this group is to deliberate on present marketing initiatives of DD, which experts feel are out-dated, and devise new strategies to revitalise it, apart from suggesting innovative ways to pool resources and synergise efforts for maximising DD’s impact. 

    Sahu has made it clear that since there cannot be a one-shoe-fits-all approach, the `War Room’ has to come up with programming and marketing strategies that is specific to each channel like DD National, DD  Kisan, DD  Bharati, DD  India (the international channel), DD Urdu, DD Kashir and DD Sports.

    Dwelling on the negative perception relating to the overall functioning of DD, especially content acquisition policies and marketing processes, Sahu said in the office order, “We need to change this perception. This would happen through a very strategic thinking, planning, implementation & initiation.”

    The `War Room’ would end its work later this month when it is expected to submit a report on ways to reboot DD, which, hopefully, would also resonate with parent Prasar Bharati’s bosses.
    Headed by Deputy Director of Programmes G Sajan, the other members of this group include P.K. Srivastava, PEX, DDK-Raipur; Sandeep Sood, ADP, DDK-Pune; Anurag Darshan, Programme Executive (PEX) DD National; Abhishek Dubey, Advisor DD Sports; Ms. Soma Bose, Consultant, Films Division; Sanjeev Rai, Production Assistant, DD Urdu; Tathagat, Creative Editor, DD Bharati; Karmdeep, Senior Content Manager, DD Sports; Birupakhya Goutom Phukan, Senior Programmer and Arjun  Mehto, Senior Content Manager.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

  • DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

    DD sets up ‘War Room’ to revitalise programming & revenues

    NEW DELHI: Fazed by stagnant viewership and battling a “negative perception”, Doordarshan has set up a strategy ‘War Room’ to look into re-vitalising the pubcaster’s marketing and content acquisition processes with an overall aim to enhance revenues.

    The crisis management group, set up under the overall stewardship of DD Director-General Supriya Sahu, is mandated to suggest ways to attract and invite fresh talent for various DD channels in view of depleting manpower, new marketing and programming strategies and shore up the bottomlines via innovative marketing.

    Elaborating on the need for a crisis management group, the DG said in an office order: “Dive deep into the issues that are adversely impacting our performance and devise a strategy to re-position ourselves… (hence) it is proposed to set up a strategy ‘War Room’ in the office of Director-General.”

    According to Sahu, who has taken over the new role at DD few months back after having done a fruitful stint at Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the `War Room’ will study rules and regulations for in-house production and suggest measures to modify them to  improve programming for DD National and regional channels.

    The office order doesn’t mince words when it goes on to add that new programming strategy should look at revamping how programmes and films are acquired for DD channels— especially for the auction slots — and suggest credible methods to improve viewership (audience measurement) and enhance revenues. 

    In addition, this group is to deliberate on present marketing initiatives of DD, which experts feel are out-dated, and devise new strategies to revitalise it, apart from suggesting innovative ways to pool resources and synergise efforts for maximising DD’s impact. 

    Sahu has made it clear that since there cannot be a one-shoe-fits-all approach, the `War Room’ has to come up with programming and marketing strategies that is specific to each channel like DD National, DD  Kisan, DD  Bharati, DD  India (the international channel), DD Urdu, DD Kashir and DD Sports.

    Dwelling on the negative perception relating to the overall functioning of DD, especially content acquisition policies and marketing processes, Sahu said in the office order, “We need to change this perception. This would happen through a very strategic thinking, planning, implementation & initiation.”

    The `War Room’ would end its work later this month when it is expected to submit a report on ways to reboot DD, which, hopefully, would also resonate with parent Prasar Bharati’s bosses.
    Headed by Deputy Director of Programmes G Sajan, the other members of this group include P.K. Srivastava, PEX, DDK-Raipur; Sandeep Sood, ADP, DDK-Pune; Anurag Darshan, Programme Executive (PEX) DD National; Abhishek Dubey, Advisor DD Sports; Ms. Soma Bose, Consultant, Films Division; Sanjeev Rai, Production Assistant, DD Urdu; Tathagat, Creative Editor, DD Bharati; Karmdeep, Senior Content Manager, DD Sports; Birupakhya Goutom Phukan, Senior Programmer and Arjun  Mehto, Senior Content Manager.

    ALSO READ:

    Prasar Bharati’s monopolistic-era mind-set has to change: CEO Jawhar Sircar

  • PM urges TV Channels to aid Swachh Bharat programme, Big B in new promo

    PM urges TV Channels to aid Swachh Bharat programme, Big B in new promo

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister today urged television channels to participate pro-actively in the Swachh Bharat programme as creativity may lead to new ideas and new slogans which can inspire people.

    Referring to the Short Films Competition on the theme “Swachh Bharat” announced recently by the Government, he said during his monthly ‘Monthly ki Baat’ on All India Radio that filmmakers no longer needed large studios or sets to shoot a film, and this could be done even on a mobile phone.

    He said the winning entries will be announced in a special felicitation programme to be held in New Delhi on 2 October 2016 which also marks Gandhi Jayanti.

    Entries have been invited by the National Film Development Corporation on behalf of Information & Broadcasting Ministry by 10 September 2016.

    The film can be made in Hindi, English or any of the listed official languages of India.
    The Best Film will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a certificate. Three Second Best Films will be awarded Rs 5 lakh each and six Third Best Films will be awarded Rs 2 lakh each.

    Meanwhile, the NFDC today aired a commercial on Doordarshan where megastar Amitabh Bachchan urged young filmmakers to participate enthusiastically in the Festival. In his characteristic touch of humour, he said he hoped he would be able to go to one of the filmmakers one day to seek a role for himself.

    To participate in the competition, interested applicants can log onto www.nfdcindia.com or write to sbsff@nfdcindia.com

  • PM urges TV Channels to aid Swachh Bharat programme, Big B in new promo

    PM urges TV Channels to aid Swachh Bharat programme, Big B in new promo

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister today urged television channels to participate pro-actively in the Swachh Bharat programme as creativity may lead to new ideas and new slogans which can inspire people.

    Referring to the Short Films Competition on the theme “Swachh Bharat” announced recently by the Government, he said during his monthly ‘Monthly ki Baat’ on All India Radio that filmmakers no longer needed large studios or sets to shoot a film, and this could be done even on a mobile phone.

    He said the winning entries will be announced in a special felicitation programme to be held in New Delhi on 2 October 2016 which also marks Gandhi Jayanti.

    Entries have been invited by the National Film Development Corporation on behalf of Information & Broadcasting Ministry by 10 September 2016.

    The film can be made in Hindi, English or any of the listed official languages of India.
    The Best Film will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a certificate. Three Second Best Films will be awarded Rs 5 lakh each and six Third Best Films will be awarded Rs 2 lakh each.

    Meanwhile, the NFDC today aired a commercial on Doordarshan where megastar Amitabh Bachchan urged young filmmakers to participate enthusiastically in the Festival. In his characteristic touch of humour, he said he hoped he would be able to go to one of the filmmakers one day to seek a role for himself.

    To participate in the competition, interested applicants can log onto www.nfdcindia.com or write to sbsff@nfdcindia.com