ITV

Tag: Prasar Bharati

  • Merger of schemes under MIB lead to reduction to one-third of 11th Plan

    Merger of schemes under MIB lead to reduction to one-third of 11th Plan

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has brought down the number of schemes under it from 65 in the Eleventh Plan to just 21 in the 12th Plan by the year 2016-17 by merely merging together under umbrella schemes the various schemes of its different media units with similar objectives and activities.

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to I and B was informed that the ministry carried out a comprehensive rationalization and restructuring of the Plan schemes to achieve the thrust areas of the 12th Five Year Plan.

    The ministry said this is expected to result in optimum and effective utilization of outlay earmarked and better monitoring of Plan Schemes at implementing stages during the year 2016-17.

    Progress in the achievement of physical and financial targets in respect of schemes is now being reviewed by the secretary in the ministry to boost utilization in the current fiscal.

    In addition, the Financial Advisor of the ministry and the concerned joint secretaries also convene meetings at their level in order to review the performance of the plan schemes. In such meetings representatives from various media units under the ministry and implementing agencies are also called for discussion, whenever required.

    The allocation of funds to various sectors during 2015-16 and 2016-17 is:
    (Rs. in crore) Sector wise Budgetary Support
    BE 2015-16
    RE 2015-16
    Expenditure as on 31.03.2016
    BE 2016-17
     
    Information
     
    70.65
     
    193.42
     
    188.20
     
    183.02
    Film
    208.55
    77.31
    69.01
    141.48
    Broadcasting
    Main Sectt.
    30.30
    25.50
    23.41
    25.50
    Prasar Bharati
    605.03
    453.77
    453.77
    450.00
    Total Broadcasting
    635.33
    479.27
    477.18
    475.50
    Total
    914.53
    750.00
    734.39
    800.00

    Thus, allocation for Broadcasting and Film Sectors has been reduced compared to last fiscal, i.e. 2015-16 but the Information Sector has got an enhanced allocation in 2016-17.

    When questioned about the reduction in other sectors and increase in the Information sector, the ministry informed the committee that the sector-wise fund allocation are based on the following rationale:

    1.    The scheme-wise expenditure trend during last four years of the 12th Five Year Plan;
    2.    Overall ceilings approved by Expenditure Finance Committee/Standing Finance Committee/Revised Cost             Estimates, for the 12th Plan (2012-17) with respect to each scheme;
    3.    Annual scheme-wise budget proposals from different wings based on their expenditure capacity;
    4.    Full provision for continuing schemes for completion of the schemes.
    5.    Overall ceiling fixed by the ministry of Finance.

    As the Revised Cost Estimates (RCE) of sub-scheme “People’s Empowerment through Development Communication (Conception and Dissemination) (Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity” was under consideration at the beginning of 2015-16, an amount of Rs 131 crore for this scheme was kept in the scheme “National Film Heritage Mission” of the film sector. After the RCE of this sub-scheme was approved by the Finance ministry, the allocation for this sub-scheme was enhanced to Rs 151 crore. Consequently, allocation with respect to information sector at revised estimate stage increased to Rs.193.42 crore and the allocation for the film sector decreased to Rs.77.31 crore.

    When questioned whether the present allocation of Rs.800 crore for the current fiscal is sufficient to carry out the planned activities, the ministry told the committee that given the availability of resources and the set priorities of the government, the financial allocations are made to the ministries/departments which are mostly less than what is proposed to the Finance ministry.

    The Budget Estimates allocation of Rs 800 crore for the year 2016-17 for the I and B Ministry is less than the proposed amount of Rs 1,240.69 crore.

    However subject to the resource constraint, the ministry has tried to optimize the reduced allocation of Rs 800 crore amongst the schemes of the ministry sector-wise, by allocating funds to the media units in a rational manner to overcome the difficulty of reduced allocation.

    Subject to the availability of the budget, the ministry will make all out efforts to reach out to the people of the country and fulfill their mandate of the public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati.
     

  • Broadcasting to get Rs 475.5 crore in Annual Plan 2016-17 of MIB

    Broadcasting to get Rs 475.5 crore in Annual Plan 2016-17 of MIB

    NEW DELHI: There is a provision of Rs 390 crore as grant-in-aid for Prasar Bharati for the year 2016-17 which includes Rs 50 crore for the north east region.

    In addition, there is a grant-in-aid of Rs 60 crore including Rs 8 crore for the north east region, according to the annual plan of the Information and Broadcastng Ministry for 2016-17.

    In addition, Doordarshan will get Rs 125 crore and All India Radio will receive Rs 75 crore for development of new content.   

    A sum of Rs 12 crore has been set aside for strengthening the Electronic Media Monitoring Cell which will soon increase its capacity to monitor all TV channels in the country.

    A budget of Rs 4 crore has been set aside for supporting community radio stations which includes Rs 20 lakh for the north east region.

    Infrastructure Support Cell in the ministry renamed as Digitisation Mission has a budget of Rs 5 crore in the annual plan, while Rs 4.5 crore has been set aside for automation of the broadcasting sector.

    Thus the total budget in the annual plan for the broadcasting sector is Rs 475.50 crore including Rs 58.2 criore for the north east.  

  • Broadcasting to get Rs 475.5 crore in Annual Plan 2016-17 of MIB

    Broadcasting to get Rs 475.5 crore in Annual Plan 2016-17 of MIB

    NEW DELHI: There is a provision of Rs 390 crore as grant-in-aid for Prasar Bharati for the year 2016-17 which includes Rs 50 crore for the north east region.

    In addition, there is a grant-in-aid of Rs 60 crore including Rs 8 crore for the north east region, according to the annual plan of the Information and Broadcastng Ministry for 2016-17.

    In addition, Doordarshan will get Rs 125 crore and All India Radio will receive Rs 75 crore for development of new content.   

    A sum of Rs 12 crore has been set aside for strengthening the Electronic Media Monitoring Cell which will soon increase its capacity to monitor all TV channels in the country.

    A budget of Rs 4 crore has been set aside for supporting community radio stations which includes Rs 20 lakh for the north east region.

    Infrastructure Support Cell in the ministry renamed as Digitisation Mission has a budget of Rs 5 crore in the annual plan, while Rs 4.5 crore has been set aside for automation of the broadcasting sector.

    Thus the total budget in the annual plan for the broadcasting sector is Rs 475.50 crore including Rs 58.2 criore for the north east.  

  • Pan India Network allows removal of equipment from Prasar Bharati’s premises

    Pan India Network allows removal of equipment from Prasar Bharati’s premises

    NEW DELHI: Pan India Network Infravest Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai is willing and ready to have its equipment removed from the premises of Prasar Bharati licensed out to them under the previous licenses at different kendras.

    These kendras are Nanded, Allahabad, Jalgaon, Varanasi, Agra, Aloka, Amritsar and other kendras in Punjab.

    This was conveyed to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal by Prasar Bharati counsel Tejveer Singh Bhatia.

    However, Bhatia made it clear that the Network had not admitted any of the allegations or statements made in the Miscellaneous Applications 152 to 159 of 2016 filed on behalf of the pubcaster.

    In view of the stand taken by the respondents, chairman justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava disposed off the applications.

    However, the tribunal directed Pan India to have its equipment removed from the premises in question within 30 days.

  • Pan India Network allows removal of equipment from Prasar Bharati’s premises

    Pan India Network allows removal of equipment from Prasar Bharati’s premises

    NEW DELHI: Pan India Network Infravest Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai is willing and ready to have its equipment removed from the premises of Prasar Bharati licensed out to them under the previous licenses at different kendras.

    These kendras are Nanded, Allahabad, Jalgaon, Varanasi, Agra, Aloka, Amritsar and other kendras in Punjab.

    This was conveyed to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal by Prasar Bharati counsel Tejveer Singh Bhatia.

    However, Bhatia made it clear that the Network had not admitted any of the allegations or statements made in the Miscellaneous Applications 152 to 159 of 2016 filed on behalf of the pubcaster.

    In view of the stand taken by the respondents, chairman justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava disposed off the applications.

    However, the tribunal directed Pan India to have its equipment removed from the premises in question within 30 days.

  • SC rejects Star appeal on sharing sports signals with DD

    SC rejects Star appeal on sharing sports signals with DD

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today upheld the contention by Prasar Bharati that enhancements embedded in the sports feed shared by sports channels with Doordarshan were commercial advertisements.

    Rejecting a special leave petition by Star India against a Delhi High Court order which had gone in favour of Prasar Bharati, The apex Court also held that the prohibition in Section 3 of the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act 2007 (Sports Act) is not only against advertisements of the broadcast service provider but also those of the content rights owner and holder.

    The Court said the word ‘its’ in Section 3 of the Act refers to the the content rights owners, holder and broadcast service provider. Therefore it was immaterial as to who inserted the enhancements. Under the Act the signal to be provided had to be free of advertisements.

    The Sports Act is clear that live signals of sporting events of national importance have to be shared by the content rights owners or holders and broadcast service providers with Prasar Bharati without advertisements. Furthermore, a clean feed is to be provided.

    Prasar Bharati in its petition in the High Court had claimed that the feed being provided contained commercial enhancements. But Star took the plea that the commercial enhancements were not advertisements and the enhancements were in any case being inserted by International Cricket Council.

    Star also said the prohibition in Section 3 of the Sports Act was only against advertisements of the broadcast service provider (Star) and not those of the content rights owner (ICC). It claimed that the word ‘its’ in Section 3 of the Act only referred to the broadcast service provider and not the content rights owner.

    While senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi had appeared for Star Sports, Prasar Bharati was represented by Attorney General Mukul Rohatagi.

    Taking up the case in Febuary last year, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Prafulla C Pant had said ‘we are of the view that the interim order passed earlier to the effect that the impugned order dated 4 February of the High Court shall remain suspended should continue until further orders.’

    The Court had at that time said it was ‘not inclined’ to consider the suggestion made by Star Sports that Doordarshan should set up an extra/special channel which has been contended by Prasar Bharati to be unviable and technically unfeasible within any reasonable period of time.

    On the second suggestion about ‘putting up a scroll to the effect that ‘the channel displaying the sports event (concerned ICC World Cup 2015 matches) is meant only for Doordarshan’, the Court said ‘acceptance of the said suggestion would be understanding the provisions of Section 3 of the Sports Act 2007 and Section 8 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 in a particular manner which is not warranted at this stage of the proceedings. We, therefore, decline to accept the said second suggestion advanced on behalf of the respondents.’

    Star India had in an additional affidavit at the time said that it was losing around Rs 290 crore every year by sharing its sports signals with Doordarshan and was expecting to lose around Rs 120 crore by sharing the telecast of the World Cup this year. (Under the Sports Act, the rights holder gets 75 per cent of the revenue from the telecast on DD which keeps the balance 25 per cent.)

    The Delhi High Court had declined to set aside the must carry clause as well as the Sports Act in its judgment.

  • SC rejects Star appeal on sharing sports signals with DD

    SC rejects Star appeal on sharing sports signals with DD

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today upheld the contention by Prasar Bharati that enhancements embedded in the sports feed shared by sports channels with Doordarshan were commercial advertisements.

    Rejecting a special leave petition by Star India against a Delhi High Court order which had gone in favour of Prasar Bharati, The apex Court also held that the prohibition in Section 3 of the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act 2007 (Sports Act) is not only against advertisements of the broadcast service provider but also those of the content rights owner and holder.

    The Court said the word ‘its’ in Section 3 of the Act refers to the the content rights owners, holder and broadcast service provider. Therefore it was immaterial as to who inserted the enhancements. Under the Act the signal to be provided had to be free of advertisements.

    The Sports Act is clear that live signals of sporting events of national importance have to be shared by the content rights owners or holders and broadcast service providers with Prasar Bharati without advertisements. Furthermore, a clean feed is to be provided.

    Prasar Bharati in its petition in the High Court had claimed that the feed being provided contained commercial enhancements. But Star took the plea that the commercial enhancements were not advertisements and the enhancements were in any case being inserted by International Cricket Council.

    Star also said the prohibition in Section 3 of the Sports Act was only against advertisements of the broadcast service provider (Star) and not those of the content rights owner (ICC). It claimed that the word ‘its’ in Section 3 of the Act only referred to the broadcast service provider and not the content rights owner.

    While senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi had appeared for Star Sports, Prasar Bharati was represented by Attorney General Mukul Rohatagi.

    Taking up the case in Febuary last year, Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Prafulla C Pant had said ‘we are of the view that the interim order passed earlier to the effect that the impugned order dated 4 February of the High Court shall remain suspended should continue until further orders.’

    The Court had at that time said it was ‘not inclined’ to consider the suggestion made by Star Sports that Doordarshan should set up an extra/special channel which has been contended by Prasar Bharati to be unviable and technically unfeasible within any reasonable period of time.

    On the second suggestion about ‘putting up a scroll to the effect that ‘the channel displaying the sports event (concerned ICC World Cup 2015 matches) is meant only for Doordarshan’, the Court said ‘acceptance of the said suggestion would be understanding the provisions of Section 3 of the Sports Act 2007 and Section 8 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 in a particular manner which is not warranted at this stage of the proceedings. We, therefore, decline to accept the said second suggestion advanced on behalf of the respondents.’

    Star India had in an additional affidavit at the time said that it was losing around Rs 290 crore every year by sharing its sports signals with Doordarshan and was expecting to lose around Rs 120 crore by sharing the telecast of the World Cup this year. (Under the Sports Act, the rights holder gets 75 per cent of the revenue from the telecast on DD which keeps the balance 25 per cent.)

    The Delhi High Court had declined to set aside the must carry clause as well as the Sports Act in its judgment.

  • Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

    Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

    NEW DELHI: Noting that there were outstanding dues of approximately Rs 6.40 crore for 2013-14 and Rs 17.76 crore for the year 2014-15 in respect of various Doordarshan Kendras, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Information and Broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati that the process of recovery of dues should be expedited.

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to I and B also noted that the final figures of outstanding amount due for the year 2015-16 were still being worked out and, as such, there could be some outstanding dues for that year also.

    At the outset, the Committee said the issue of outstanding dues of the Doordarshan Kendras has been lingering for quite some time and there was a huge pendency of outstanding dues. However, the ministry said there was no outstanding amount in respect of All India Radio stations.

    Arbitrators had passed fifteen awards in favour of Prasar Bharati and approximately Rs 53.71 crore had been recovered by taking recourse to provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (including all amendments till 2015) by filing its claims against such defaulting advertising agencies for the recovery of outstanding dues.

    The Committee was told Prasar Bharati is making efforts to recover the outstanding dues by continuously pursuing the defaulters to make payment and request reminders are sent, and in case of delay, Doordarshan charges interest @ 14.5 % from the defaulting agencies. Bank Guarantees of the defaulting agencies are encashed as per terms and conditions of the agreement.

     

  • Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

    Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

    NEW DELHI: Noting that there were outstanding dues of approximately Rs 6.40 crore for 2013-14 and Rs 17.76 crore for the year 2014-15 in respect of various Doordarshan Kendras, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Information and Broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati that the process of recovery of dues should be expedited.

    The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to I and B also noted that the final figures of outstanding amount due for the year 2015-16 were still being worked out and, as such, there could be some outstanding dues for that year also.

    At the outset, the Committee said the issue of outstanding dues of the Doordarshan Kendras has been lingering for quite some time and there was a huge pendency of outstanding dues. However, the ministry said there was no outstanding amount in respect of All India Radio stations.

    Arbitrators had passed fifteen awards in favour of Prasar Bharati and approximately Rs 53.71 crore had been recovered by taking recourse to provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (including all amendments till 2015) by filing its claims against such defaulting advertising agencies for the recovery of outstanding dues.

    The Committee was told Prasar Bharati is making efforts to recover the outstanding dues by continuously pursuing the defaulters to make payment and request reminders are sent, and in case of delay, Doordarshan charges interest @ 14.5 % from the defaulting agencies. Bank Guarantees of the defaulting agencies are encashed as per terms and conditions of the agreement.

     

  • DD Bharati telecasts mutual interest programs coinciding with Prez’s visit to China

    DD Bharati telecasts mutual interest programs coinciding with Prez’s visit to China

    NEW DELHI: Doordarshan and China’s pubcaster CCTV (China Central Television) are telecasting series of programmes aimed at fostering better people to people understanding between the two countries to coincide with the visit of president Pranab Mukherjee to China.

    The president is in China from today to 27 May and this has led to an interesting exchange of programmes between the public broadcasters of two countries..

    This exchange of programmes comes under the ambit of an MOU signed in May 2015, when prime minister Narendra Modi and Chinese premier Li Keqiang expanded the cooperation between the two countries from films to television co-productions. 

    Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar had played an instrumental role in the signing of this agreement with CCTV President Nie Chen Xi.

    The telecast of the selected programmes on the two platforms is on gratis basis. The genre of the programmes range from art, culture, education, science, wildlife, entertainment, tourism, adventure sports, news and current affairs along with human interest, development and success stories.

    DD Bharati scheduled four documentaries of which the first telecast last night was titled‘Laughing Meat Balls’. This documentary gave viewers a valuable peep into the biopic of the founder of the Laughing Meat Balls club. Narrating the overall achievements and qualities of this theatre group, the documentary clearly highlights the essence of traditional Chinese opera.

    A documentary titled ‘A Family of Bowyers’ will be telecast on today at 7:30 pm. The repeat telecast will air on 25 May at 3:30 am and at 11:30 am. This documentary outlines the traditional family trade of quality bow making.

    A third documentary titled ‘My Solo Tour to France’ will be telecast on 25 May at 7:30 pm. The repeat telecast will air on 26 May at 3:30 am and at 11:30 am. It is a story about a person who takes his bicycle to tour the extensive journey of France. The cyclist narrates his experiences and happening during his tour in France.

    The fourth documentary titled ‘Wildlife Photographer’ on 26 May at 7:30 pm will be repeated on 27 May at 3:30 am and at 11:30 am. The film highlights the wildlife photography in China. Apart from the traditional equipment the film also highlight usage of latest electronic and other professional accessories to achieve the best result.